Mechanisms of human innate immune cell death and consequent adaptive immune responses during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is a highly successful pathogen, infecting an estimated one-third of the global population. Mtb infection leads to the deaths of approximately 1.3 million people each year. Although 90% of immunocompetent infected people do not develop active tuberculosis disease upon infection, Mtb persists within the lungs and can lead to active disease decades after initial infection. An improved understanding of the interaction of Mtb with the human immune system is urgently required in order to effectively target new treatments and vaccines.