Applications of humanized mice in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections (Review)

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), which poses a notable threat to human health. The present review aims to explore the application of humanized mice in the study of M.tb infections. Due to differences in immune responses between mice and humans, humanized mice with human immune systems have been developed as models to characterize human immune responses to M.tb. The present review searched for research on humanized mice and tuberculosis in Web of Science and PubMed using the keywords 'humanized', 'mice' or 'mouse' and 'tuberculosis', and summarized the findings. Humanized non‑obese diabetic (NOD).Cg‑Rag1^tm1MoMIl2rg^tm1Wjl and NOD.Cg‑Prkdc^scidIl2rg^tm1Wjl mice have the potential to accelerate the screening of vaccine candidates, therapeutic regimens and the 'bench to bedside' translation process. New therapies, such as IgG1 P1AM25 in humanized Fcγ receptor mice and phage DS6A in humanized NOD.Cg‑Prkdc^scid Il2rg^tm1Wjl Tg(cytomegalovirus‑interleukin‑3, granulocyte‑macrophage colony‑stimulating factor and KIT ligand)1Eav/MloySzJ mice, may have potential for treating tuberculosis. The humanized bone marrow‑liver‑thymus and human leukocyte antigens transgenic mouse models are effective tools for studying the co‑infection of M.tb and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The present review highlights the key role of humanized mouse models in advancing the understanding of M.tb infection, including host‑pathogen interactions, immune evasion mechanisms, vaccine development, therapeutic interventions and co‑infection with HIV. In conclusion, humanized mice provide a powerful platform for bridging the gap between preclinical research and clinical tuberculosis therapeutics.