Insights into tuberculosis from the zebrafish model

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) continues to plague humanity because of significant gaps in our understanding of MTB infection, including the nature of a protective versus pathological host response, why antimicrobial cure is so difficult, and the ineffectiveness of vaccination. The development of a zebrafish model, utilizing infection with the natural fish pathogen Mycobacterium marinum (Mm), has yielded important insights into tuberculosis with immediate clinical applications.