# Modeling the contribution of coronavirus cellular tropism to viral pathogenesis

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $194,375

## Abstract

Summary
The cell and tissue tropism of viruses is defined as the capacity of a virus to infect
specific cells and tissues and is determined by both viral and cellular factors. An
important factor for initiation of infection is cell entry, which is dependent on the ability of
the virus to dock with its cognitive receptor. A growing understanding of species
differences in ACE2 structure and, perhaps more importantly, in tissue specific patterns
of expression has underscored the potential limitations in the use of mouse models for
the study of disease pathogenesis of coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 that rely on
ACE2 for cellular entry. We propose to implement a strategy for the rapid generation of
mouse models in which human ACE2 expression is limited to individual or multiple
airway epithelial populations. Using these lines, we will examine the impact of the
cellular pattern of ACE2 expression in the respiratory tract on the sequence of events
following exposure to SARS-CoV2 coronavirus.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10747447
- **Project number:** 5R21AI174225-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Beverly H Koller
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $194,375
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-12-01 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10747447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10747447, Modeling the contribution of coronavirus cellular tropism to viral pathogenesis (5R21AI174225-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10747447. Licensed CC0.

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