Rodent pathogens may contaminate a wide range of biological research materials, including rodent- or human-derived cell lines, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), transplantable tumours, tissues, embryonic stem cells, basement membrane matrices (e.g. Matrigel), antibody preparations passaged through rodents, and other biological materials used in biomedical research. Contamination of these materials can result in the introduction of infectious agents into laboratory animal colonies and may compromise the validity, reproducibility, and reliability of both in vivo and in vitro research.
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