Developing and Characterizing a Murine Model of In Utero Transmission of Ebola Virus

Hanora Van Ert; Corey W. Henderson; Brian J. Smith; Paige T. Donovan; Ethan Kardin; Emma Eubank; Maryam Fakhimi; Matthew Liebermann; Kelly N. Messingham; Mark K. Santillan; Mark L. Schultz; Andrea Marzi; Wendy Maury

doi:10.64898/2026.08.04.742335

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Developing and Characterizing a Murine Model of In Utero Transmission of Ebola Virus

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Developing and Characterizing a Murine Model of In Utero Transmission of Ebola Virus

Hanora Van Ert, Corey W. Henderson, Brian J. Smith, Paige T. Donovan, Ethan Kardin, Emma Eubank, Maryam Fakhimi, Matthew Liebermann, Kelly N. Messingham, Mark K. Santillan, …

bioRxiv

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1.1

08/05/2026

DOI: 10.64898/2026.08.04.742335

PMID: 42620007

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https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.04.742335View

Preprint (Author's original) This preprint has not been evaluated by subject experts through peer review. Preprints may undergo extensive changes and/or become peer-reviewed journal articles. Open Access

Abstract

Ebola virus (EBOV) disease (EVD) is a hemorrhagic disease caused by EBOV infection. EVD outcomes in pregnant women are similar to non-pregnant women however, EVD is associated with negative fetal outcomes in ∼99% of cases. There is a critical need for a tractable small animal model to study maternal/fetal transmission of EBOV. We utilized interferon α/β receptor knock out mice infected and authentic EBOV or the model virus, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus encoding EBOV glycoprotein (rVSV/EBOV). Infection with either virus during late pregnancy resulted in placental infection and vertical transmission to the fetus within 2-3 days. Robust levels of maternal and fetal proinflammatory cytokines were evident by day 5 after EBOV infection. Within the placenta, trophoblasts and endothelial cells were viral antigen positive. Elimination of the endosomal receptor NPC1 in junctional zone trophoblasts reduced placental infection and virus transmission to the fetus. These studies establish an infectious model that provides EBOV trafficking and pathogenesis insights during pregnancy. This model provides key insights into how viral trafficking and maternal immune responses drive adverse fetal outcomes during gestational Ebola virus infection.

Microbiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Developing and Characterizing a Murine Model of In Utero Transmission of Ebola Virus
Creators: Hanora Van Ert - Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Iowa
Corey W. Henderson - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Brian J. Smith - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Paige T. Donovan - University of Iowa
Ethan Kardin - University of Iowa
Emma Eubank - University of Iowa
Maryam Fakhimi - University of Iowa
Matthew Liebermann - University of Iowa
Kelly N. Messingham - University of Iowa
Mark K. Santillan - University of Iowa
Mark L. Schultz - University of Iowa
Andrea Marzi - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Wendy Maury - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Preprint
Publication Details: bioRxiv
Edition: 1.1
DOI: 10.64898/2026.08.04.742335
PMID: 42620007
NLM abbreviation: bioRxiv
ISSN: 2692-8205
eISSN: 2692-8205
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Number of pages: 39
Language: English
Date posted: 08/05/2026
Academic Unit: Dermatology; Microbiology and Immunology; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Medical Genetics and Genomics; Obstetrics and Gynecology
Record Identifier: 9985219317502771

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