This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2008-0154TRv1 39/5/503    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dharmadhikari, A. S. Articles by Nardell, E. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dharmadhikari, A. S. Articles by Nardell, E. A.

What Animal Models Teach Humans about Tuberculosis

¹ Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and ² Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Ashwin Dharmadhikari, MD, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, FXB Building, 7^th Floor, 651 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02114. E-mail: adharmadhikari{at}partners.org

Abstract

Animal models have become standard tools for the study of a wide array of human infectious diseases. Although there are no true animal reservoirs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, many different animal species are susceptible to infection with this organism and have served as valuable tools for the study of tuberculosis (TB). The most commonly used experimental animal models of TB are the mouse, rabbit, and guinea pig. Although substantial differences in TB susceptibility and disease manifestations exist between these species, they have contributed significantly to the understanding of TB immunopathogenesis, host genetic influence on infection, efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, and host/pathogen interactions that determine the outcome or severity of infection. Among the three species, mice are relatively resistant to TB infection, followed by rabbits and then guinea pigs, which are extremely vulnerable to infection. Mice are most often used in experiments on immune responses to TB infection and drug regimens against TB. Rabbits, unlike the other two animal models, develop cavitary TB and offer a means to study the factors leading to this form of the disease. Guinea pigs, due to their high susceptibility to infection, have been ideal for studies on airborne transmission and vaccine efficacy. In addition to these three species, TB research has occasionally involved nonhuman primates and cattle models. Current concepts in TB pathogenesis have also been derived from animal studies involving experimentally induced infections with related mycobacteria (e.g., Mycobacterium bovis) whose manifestations in select animal hosts mimic human TB.

Key Words: tuberculosis • animal models • host/pathogen interactions

CLINICAL RELEVANCE This review highlights the contributions of various animal models to the understanding of tuberculosis pathogenesis, host/pathogen interactions, and disease treatment, and discusses the reasons why each model is relevant to tuberculosis research.