Department of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife 50740-465, Brazil; Rodents Animal Facilities Complex, Federal University of Uberlândia (REBIR-UFU), Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Emilene Ferreira de Castro
Rodents Animal Facilities Complex, Federal University of Uberlândia (REBIR-UFU), Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Murilo Vieira da Silva
Rodents Animal Facilities Complex, Federal University of Uberlândia (REBIR-UFU), Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Denise Caroline Paiva Ferreira
Rodents Animal Facilities Complex, Federal University of Uberlândia (REBIR-UFU), Uberlândia 38400-902, Brazil
Ana Carolina Gomes Jardim
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-302, Brazil
Igor Andrade Santos
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-302, Brazil
Mikaela dos Santos Marinho
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-302, Brazil
Flávia Batista Ferreira França
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-318, Brazil
Lindomar José Pena
Department of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife 50740-465, Brazil; Corresponding author
Summary: The emergence and rapid spread outside of monkeypox virus (MPXV) to non-endemic areas has led to another global health emergency in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientific community has sought to rapidly develop in vitro and in vivo models that could be applied in research with MPXV. In vitro models include two-dimensional (2D) cultures of immortalized cell lines or primary cells and three-dimensional (3D) cultures. In vitro models are considered cost-effective and can be done in highly controlled conditions; however, they do not always resemble physiological conditions. In this way, several in vivo models are being characterized to meet the growing demand for new studies related to MPXV. In this review, we summarize the main MPXV models that have already been developed and discuss how they can contribute to advance the understanding of its pathogenesis, replication, and transmission, as well as identifying antivirals to treat infected patients.
