Manipulation of the mononuclear phagocyte system by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Over the past 20 years, there has been an emerging appreciation about the role of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) to control and eradicate pathogens. Likewise, there have been significant advances in dissecting the mechanisms involved in the microbial subversion of MPS cells, mainly affecting their differentiation and effector functions. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial pathogen that represents an enigma to the field because of its remarkable ability to thrive in humans. One reason is that M. tuberculosis renders a defective MPS compartment, which is perhaps the most ingenious strategy for survival in the host given the prominence of these cells to modulate microenvironments, their function as sentinels and orchestrators of the immune response, and their pathogenic role as reservoirs for microbial persistence. In this article, the principal strategies used by M. tuberculosis to subvert the MPS compartment are presented along with emerging concepts.