Studies of antituberculosis chemotherapy with an in vitro model of human tuberculosis.
Testing new drugs or drug combinations for activity against tuberculosis is highly problematic: Clinical therapy trials are expensive and time-consuming; animal trial results may not be applicable to humans; and simple in vitro testing on culture medium excludes a vital component of the natural infection, namely the macrophage. Described here is a technique to treat with chemotherapy human macrophages that have been infected ex vivo with tubercle bacilli. Briefly discussed are the results of treating such infected phagocytes with a variety of agents: Streptomycin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, isoniazid, and ceforanide. Interesting parallels between the macrophage-model results and observed clinical phenomena are noted. This model appears to have considerable potential for evaluating drug activity against tubercle bacilli, nontuberculous mycobacteria, and, perhaps, other intracellular parasites.
D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents