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Updated: Apr 25, 2026

An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis
Published on: August 16, 2021
Autophagy in tuberculosis
1Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131.
Abstract:
Autophagy as an immune mechanism controls inflammation and acts as a cell-autonomous defense against intracellular microbes including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An equally significant role of autophagy is its anti-inflammatory and tissue-sparing function. This combination of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory actions prevents active disease in animal models. In human populations, genetic links between autophagy, inflammatory bowel disease, and susceptibility to tuberculosis provide further support to these combined roles of autophagy. The autophagic control of M. tuberculosis and prevention of progressive disease provide novel insights into physiological and immune control of tuberculosis. It also offers host-based therapeutic opportunities because autophagy can be pharmacologically modulated.
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