Transgenic mouse models support a protective role of type I IFN response in SARS-CoV-2 infection-related lung immunopathology and neuroinvasion.

Type I interferon (IFN-I) response is the first line of host defense against invading viruses. In the absence of definite mouse models, the role of IFN-I in SARS-CoV-2 infection remains perplexing. Here, we develop two mouse models, one with constitutively high IFN-I response (hACE2; Irgm1) and the other with dampened IFN-I response (hACE2; Ifnar1), to comprehend the role of IFN-I response.