Douam, FlorianDuffy, ElizabethCervone-Maffa III, Francis J.2024-11-042023https://hdl.handle.net/2144/49452Mosquito-borne viruses (MBV) are the cause of significant health and economic concerns worldwide. However, the mechanisms by which these viruses are transmitted to humans remain elusive. This is due to the scarcity of animal models recapitulating mosquitoes to human MBV transmission. While transgenic mice defective in their immune responses are permissive to MBV infection, the partial immunodeficiency of these models and the lack of human skin preclude an accurate understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving effective MBV transmission. The goal of this project is to develop the first mouse model co-engrafted with a functional human immune system and syngeneic induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived skin organoids. This novel mouse model will illuminate critical mechanisms and host-pathogen interactions driving MBV transmission and provide a novel technology to model skin-related diseases.en-USVirologyFlavivirusHuman immune systemHuman induced pluripotent stem cellsMouse modelSkinSkin organoidsThesis/Dissertation2024-10-31