Coronavirus: Expanding Our Understanding of Animals to Better Protect Humans

If the current pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that infectious diseases in animals can have serious consequences for humans. Expanding our knowledge of animals and their pathogenic organisms can only be beneficial in our quest to develop vaccines and treatments. Nearly 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals . COVID-19 is just the latest example. But thanks to the knowledge gained from studying coronaviruses in animals, treatment for humans has been all the faster and more effective. Preliminary research in animals has been essential not only for understanding the disease but also for identifying potential treatments and vaccines. And it is far from having revealed all its secrets. Among other things, understanding how the immune system functions in animals that live with coronaviruses—such as bats— could guide the development of treatments and vaccines. Knowledge gained from animal research is a real asset in the fight against diseases. A multidisciplinary team from more than 10 universities and research institutes recently described how incorporating a more diverse range of species and environments could improve the biomedical research cycle . However, the concept is not new. The greatest scientific discoveries have relied on animal research. This was the case, for example, with the very first vaccine, which arose from the observation that dairymaids who had contracted a mild form of smallpox from dairy cows were protected against the deadly disease. This led to the idea of inoculating people with non-lethal viruses to protect them against more deadly ones. Such discoveries can only be made by studying new species in varied environments. Modern research relies primarily on the study of mice , and while this is essential, it limits the scope and discovery of medical innovations. For example, a new class of antibodies, called nanobodies, has been discovered in camels. Easier and faster to produce than traditional antibodies, nanobodies play an important role in biomedical research, including the response to COVID-19. We still know very little about the immune systems of most animals. Yet their tools for fighting deadly pathogenic organisms could become our own. Stepping outside the laboratory to study new species leads to new discoveries. And according to Julie Old of Western Sydney University , it is particularly important that immunology research include a wider variety of species.

“If we want to advance our understanding of the immune system and potentially stay one step ahead of any future pandemic, the research community must expand. We need to broaden our scope and incorporate new species and new environments into the research paradigm.”

The researchers hope to encourage their peers , particularly in immunology, to seek out beneficial interdisciplinary collaborations with veterinarians and wildlife experts. This transdisciplinary approach will enrich research and lead to new discoveries in the fight against emerging diseases. We are already seeing the benefits of this approach in the fight against COVID-19. Inspired by a mucosal nanoparticle vaccine designed to protect animals against toxoplasmosis, researchers have adapted the concept for SARS-CoV-2 . The candidate vaccine will consist of the same nanoparticles and will soon be tested via the nasal route in mice. The risks posed by emerging diseases are not going away. We need new ideas, new tools, and new collaborations—ones that are as dynamic as they are surprising and diverse—to address them. Proactively deepening our understanding of immunology in various animals will spur discoveries with real-world applications for human medicine and veterinary medicine and conservation.