Bioplatform to Identify and Characterize Pathogens and Therapies against Tuberculosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases.
Treatment for human tuberculosis (TB) and other granulomatous diseases would benefit from high- throughput screening (HTS)-compatible platform replicating physiological conditions in hallmark granuloma lesions. However, currently available screening platforms and 2-D and 3-D cell culture systems lack throughput and key features, and relevant microenvironments present in human TB granulomas, such as the formation of well-organized tuberculoma structure, granuloma lesions, biochemical and physiological gradients, diverse forms, and development of features like enhanced central hypoxia, necrosis, acidosis, and cavity formation. This technology is for bioengineering an HTS-compatible and shelf-stable in vitro tuberculoma bioplatform similar to human tuberculous granuloma lesions for rapid screening of pathogen-targeted and host-directed compounds and other therapeutics against the mycobacterial strains causing TB. This robust 3-D bioplatform exhibits the key attributes and microenvironments of human TB granuloma lesions. The bioplatform can be used to investigate host-pathogen interactions and trained immunity against mycobacterial infections and identify and characterize antimicrobial therapeutics, biologics, and immunotherapies against TB, other mycobacterial diseases, and associated co-infections and morbidities. This tool can accelerate drug discovery efforts and translational advances against various granulomatous diseases.
- Rapid screening of pathogen-targeted and host- directed compounds against TB and other mycobacterial diseases.
- Efficacy determination for TB therapeutic candidates.
- Identification of mode of action of TB therapeutic compounds.
- Identification and optimization of lead therapeutic candidate against TB and other mycobacterial diseases.
- Commercially available tool to study mycobacterial and granulomatous diseases.
- Robust, tractable, and HTS-compatible.
- Freshly bio-engineered and cryo-stable versions. A cryo-stable version of the 3D tuberculoma bioplatform can be frozen for future use and revived on demand.
- Can be used at a BSL-2 laboratory.
- Can be easily transformed and scaled up for fully automated screening applications.