Mesocricetus auratus is a key model in biomedical research. Its genome closely resembles that of humans in genes related to diseases such as COVID-19. When infected with SARS-CoV-2, it reduces energy consumption and body temperature, reproducing human symptoms and helping to understand how the virus affects metabolism.

Authors: Carme Cañizares Bruguera, Xiomara García Marcos, Lorena López Castro