Anti-tuberculosis drug therapy in mice of different inbred strains

Boris V Nikonenko1, Leo Einck, Carol A Nacy

  • 1Sequella, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, United States. borisnikonenko@sequella.com

Insights

Standard tuberculosis (TB) drug therapy showed different effects across mouse strains. Treatment was more effective in susceptible DBA/2 mice compared to resistant C57BL/6 mice, despite similar initial infection levels.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health challenge.
  • Host genetic background influences TB susceptibility and treatment outcomes.
  • Understanding strain-specific responses to anti-TB therapy is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of host inbred mouse strain on the efficacy of standard anti-tuberculosis drug therapy.
  • To compare the effectiveness of TB treatment in genetically susceptible versus resistant mouse models.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized four inbred mouse strains (DBA/2, C3H, SWR/J, C57BL/6) for TB infection studies.
  • Standardized the infection process by adjusting initial bacterial dose based on strain susceptibility.
  • Initiated standard anti-TB drug therapy when lung colony-forming units (CFUs) were comparable across strains.

Main Results:

  • Standard anti-TB drug therapy exhibited distinct effects on bacilli burden across different mouse strains.
  • Treatment efficacy varied between susceptible DBA/2 mice and relatively resistant C57BL/6 mice.
  • TB treatment was found to be more effective in the susceptible DBA/2 mouse strain.

Conclusions:

  • Host genetic factors significantly modulate the response to anti-tuberculosis drug therapy.
  • Susceptible mouse strains may show better outcomes with standard TB treatment compared to resistant strains.
  • These findings highlight the importance of host genetics in TB treatment strategies.

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