%0 Journal Article
%T Exploring host-pathogen interactions in the Dictyostelium discoideum-Mycobacterium marinum infection model of tuberculosis.
%A Guallar-Garrido S
%A Soldati T
%J Dis Model Mech
%V 17
%N 7
%D 2024 Jul 1
%M 39037280
%F 5.732
%R 10.1242/dmm.050698
%X Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a significant global health concern that poses numerous clinical challenges, particularly in terms of finding effective treatments for patients. Throughout evolution, host immune cells have developed cell-autonomous defence strategies to restrain and eliminate mycobacteria. Concurrently, mycobacteria have evolved an array of virulence factors to counteract these host defences, resulting in a dynamic interaction between host and pathogen. Here, we review recent findings, including those arising from the use of the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as a model to investigate key mycobacterial infection pathways. D. discoideum serves as a scalable and genetically tractable model for human phagocytes, providing valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. We also highlight certain similarities between M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum, and the use of M. marinum to more safely investigate mycobacteria in D. discoideum.