Timing matters in macrophage/CD4+ T cell interactions: an agent-based model comparing <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> host-pathogen interactions between latently infected and naive individuals.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a significant health challenge. Clinical manifestations of TB exist across a spectrum with a majority of infected individuals remaining asymptomatic, commonly referred to as latent TB infection (LTBI). In vitro models have demonstrated that cells from individuals with LTBI can better control Mtb growth and form granuloma-like structures more quickly, compared to cells from uninfected (Mtb-naïve) individuals. These in vitro results agree with animal and clinical evidence that LTBI protects, to some degree, against reinfection. However, the mechanisms by which LTBI might offer protection against reinfection remain unclear, and quantifying the relative contributions of multiple con

SUBMITTER: Hoerter A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11915833 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature