Alveolar macrophages shape tuberculosis susceptibility by delaying protective immunity - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #tuberculosis
- #alveolar macrophages
- #immune response
- Alveolar macrophages (AMs) delay CD4+ T cell priming in tuberculosis by retaining Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the alveolar lumen.
- Susceptible C3HeB/FeJ mice show more pronounced defects due to reduced IL-1β and GM-CSF production, impairing AM migration to lung parenchyma.
- Targeting AMs accelerates adaptive immune response but fails to control bacteria long-term due to neutrophil interference with CD4+ T cells.
- Sequential depletion of AMs and neutrophils restores CD4+ T cell function and improves infection control.
- The study highlights a bottleneck in tuberculosis immunity and suggests combined strategies may be needed for sustained control.