Distinct clinical outcomes in pediatric tuberculosis: a study utilizing infant macaques exposed to low and high doses of aerosol mycobacterium tuberculosis 2367

Abstract Description Clinically relevant pediatric animal models are required to advance research and therapies for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections in children. Utilizing infant rhesus macaques exposed to controlled doses of aerosolized Mtb CDC1551, we systematically monitored physical changes and assessed signs of tuberculosis, including physical examinations, clinical blood chemistry, radiography, and histopathology. Our results demonstrated that infant macaques exposed to a physiologically relevant, low dose of aerosolized Mtb CDC1551, exhibited immune control of infection similar to that observed in human infants, while those exposed to a high dose experienced widespread dissemination, rapid disease progression, and mortality within six weeks post Mtb exposure. These findings suggest that pediatric rhesus macaques exposed to a low dose of Mtb via the aerosol route could serve as a translational model for natural Mtb infection in children, thereby allowing for the recapitulation of the immunopathogenesis and treatment of pediatric tuberculosis in a clinical setting. Funding Sources This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants HD099857 and P51 OD011104. Topic Categories Microbial, Parasitic, and Fungal Immunology (MPF)