title: Modeling the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Granuloma - the Critical Battlefield in Host Immunity and Disease.
abstract: Granulomas are the hallmark of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection and thus sit at the center of tuberculosis (TB) immunopathogenesis. TB can result from either early progression of a primary granuloma during the infection process or reactivation of an established granuloma in a latently infected person. Granulomas are compact, organized aggregates of immune cells consisting of blood-derived infected and uninfected macrophages, foamy macrophages, epithelioid cells (uniquely differentiated macrophages), and multinucleated giant cells (Langerhans cells) surrounded by a ring of lymphocytes. The granuloma's main function is to localize and contain M.tb while concentrating the immune response to a limited area. However, complete eradication does not occur since M.tb has its own strategies to persist within the granuloma and to reactivate and escape under certain conditions. Thus M.tb-containing granulomas represent a unique battlefield for dictating both the host immune and bacterial response. The architecture, composition, function, and maintenance of granulomas are key aspects to study since they are expected to have a profound influence on M.tb physiology in this niche. Granulomas are not only present in mycobacterial infections; they can be found in many other infectious and non-infectious diseases and play a crucial role in immunity and disease. Here we review the models currently available to study the granulomatous response to M.tb.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Center for Microbial Interface Biology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guirado
authors.forename: Larry S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; granuloma; model; pathogenesis; tuberculosis