Immune effector mechanisms required for protection to rabies virus.

Genetically engineered mice with targeted mutations in genes encoding immunologically relevant molecules were used to elucidate the role of different immune effector mechanisms in protection against a rabies virus (RV) infection. In vaccinated animals challenged with a highly virulent strain of RV, antibodies were crucial in protection. In naive mice challenged with an attenuated strain of the virus that does not cause disease in adult fully immunocompetent mice but kills RAG mice that lack functionally active T and B cells, different immune effector mechanisms were shown to suffice for protection.

利用在编码免疫相关分子的基因中具有靶向突变的基因工程小鼠，来阐明不同免疫效应机制在抵御狂犬病病毒（RV）感染中的作用。在接种疫苗后用高致病性RV毒株攻击的动物中，抗体在保护中起关键作用。在未免疫的小鼠中，用一种减毒的病毒毒株进行攻击，该毒株不会在具有完全免疫能力的成年小鼠中引起疾病，但会杀死缺乏功能性活性T细胞和B细胞的RAG小鼠，结果表明不同的免疫效应机制足以起到保护作用。