Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has evolved within the human immune system as both host and reservoir. The study of genes required for its growth and persistence in vivo thus offers linked insights into its pathogenicity and host immunity. Studies of Mtb mutants have implicated metabolic adaptation (consisting of carbon, nitrogen, vitamin,…
Our understanding of the host-pathogen relationship in tuberculosis (TB) can help guide drug discovery in at least two ways. First, the recognition that host immunopathology affects lesional TB drug distribution means that pharmacokinetic evaluation of drug candidates needs to move beyond measurements of drug levels in blood, whole lungs, or…
Tuberculosis (TB) lesions are extremely complex and dynamic. Here, we review the multiple types and fates of pulmonary lesions that form following infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the impact of this spatial and temporal heterogeneity on the bacteria they harbor. The diverse immunopathology of granulomas and cavities generates a plethora…
While active tuberculosis (TB) is a treatable disease, many complex factors prevent its global elimination. Part of the difficulty in developing optimal therapies is the large design space of antibiotic doses, regimens and combinations. Computational models that capture the spatial and temporal dynamics of antibiotics at the site of infection…
Very few chemically novel agents have been approved for antibacterial chemotherapies during the last 50 yr. Yet new antibacterial drugs are needed to reduce the impact on global health of an increasing number of drug-resistant infections, including highly drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis. This review discusses how genetic approaches can be…
The translational value of zebrafish high-throughput screens can be improved when more knowledge is available on uptake characteristics of potential drugs. We investigated reference antibiotics and 15 preclinical compounds in a translational zebrafish-rodent screening system for tuberculosis. As a major advance, we have developed a new tool for testing drug…
The identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes necessary for persistence in vivo provides insight into bacterial biology as well as host defense strategies. We show that disruption of M. tuberculosis membrane protein PerM (Rv0955) resulted in an IFN-γ-dependent persistence defect in chronic mouse infection despite the mutant’s near normal growth during…
