Specific pathogen-free (SPF) animal status as a variable in biomedical research: have we come full circle?

Journal Contribution ResearchOnline@JCU
Dobson, Geoffrey P.;Letson, Hayley L.;Biros, Erik;Morris, Jodie
Hayley Letson
Abstract

In this commentary, we discuss the pros and cons of using specific pathogen-free (SPF) animals in biomedical research, and present individual cases where altering the gut microbiome has dramatically changed the animal's basic physiology, immune/inflammatory functions and susceptibility to infection and disease. We argue that SPF manipulation of the microbiome-host relationship has itself become a confounding variable in biomedical research, which could have major implications to human translation.

Journal

EBioMedicine

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41

ISBN/ISSN

2352-3964

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Pages Count

2

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Publisher

Elsevier

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EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.02.038