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Neisseria meningitidis Infection of Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Brain Endothelial Cells
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Modeling Neisseria meningitidis Infection in Mice: Methods and Logistical Considerations for Nasal Colonization and

Kay O Johswich1, Scott D Gray-Owen2

  • 1Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|March 17, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed new models to study Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium causing meningitis. These models overcome previous limitations, enabling better understanding of meningococcal infection and development of new treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis exclusively infects humans, posing challenges for studying its lifestyle and developing interventions.
  • Previous models were limited by host-specific restrictions, hindering research into meningococcal pathogenesis and immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss advances in modeling Neisseria meningitidis infection in vivo.
  • To detail methods for establishing robust and reproducible models of meningococcal nasal colonization and sepsis.
  • To explore the utility of these models for studying bacterial lifestyle and host immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing genetically modified mice expressing human receptors for mucosal colonization.
  • Incorporating specific serum factors to facilitate meningococcal replication in disseminated disease models.
  • Establishing protocols for reproducible induction of nasal colonization and sepsis.

Main Results:

  • Developed experimental systems that overcome host restriction barriers for Neisseria meningitidis.
  • Demonstrated the feasibility of studying meningococcal colonization and systemic infection in animal models.
  • Identified key variables influencing infection outcomes in these models.

Conclusions:

  • Advanced animal models now permit comprehensive study of Neisseria meningitidis lifestyle and host-pathogen interactions.
  • These models are crucial for evaluating novel therapeutic and prophylactic strategies against meningococcal disease.
  • Facilitates research into interventions for meningococcal carriage and invasive disease.
Keywords:
Intraperitoneal infectionMouse modelMucosal colonizationNasal infectionSepsisTransgenic mice

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