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Identification and characterization of host-directed therapeutics for tuberculosis using a versatile human 3D tuberculoma bioplatform

Suraj B. Sable, Wen Li, Allison Kline, Sakthivel Govindaraj, Vijayakumar Velu, James E. Posey

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), 2025

3 citations

Abstract

Abstract Host-directed therapies (HDT) represent a pivotal strategy in combating both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Current evaluations, however, show limited success in animal models and clinical settings, emphasizing the need for more effective HDT candidates. With few druggable targets validated within granulomas, it is essential to verify the effectiveness of HDT candidates identified through traditional macrophage cultures in the context of the tuberculous granuloma milieus. Bioengineering a scalable, high-throughput screening (HTS) platform that replicates the physiological microenvironments in the hallmark tubercular lesions could significantly improve the identification of relevant HDT candidates and new treatment strategies. Here, we developed a facile, HTS-compatible bioplatform that generates tuberculoma-emulating structures, following three-dimensional (3D) co-cultures of human cells and pathogenic mycobacteria. Employing high-content imaging alongside immunological and transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrated that these 3D structures exhibit classic tuberculoma attributes and develop crucial transformations. Utilizing this system, we screened antibody biosimilars and potential HDT compounds. Our findings demonstrate the system’s versatility in discovering antimicrobials and HDT candidates that effectively reduce mycobacterial burdens and granuloma lesions, while elucidating their immune mechanisms within 3D milieus. Many compounds…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a preprint, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

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