Understanding Dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dear Colleagues,

Mycobacterium tubeculosis (Mtb) remains a major pathogen of humans. It is thought that the infection of humans occurs due to a relatively small number of bacteria that are deposited after exposure to aerosolized bacilli. The actual disease, tuberculosis (TB), may then result either from the bacilii being deposited in the “right niche” of the lung or when the bacilli disseminate to the right niche in the lung; the latter process is likely to be dominant, given the large lung area and paucity of the “right niches”. How exactly Mtb disseminates from the initial deposition site to the right niche, including sometimes to extrapulmonary sites, remains poorly understood. This Special Issue aims to provide an up-to-date review and new findings that shed light on the mechanisms and pathways of Mtb dissemination locally in the lung and systemically in the body.

We are looking for papers that provide novel insights into the mechanisms of Mtb dissemination after initial localized infection, and how various interventions (e.g., vaccination, treatment, host-directed therapies) may impact Mtb dissemination efficiency. We are looking for primary papers and reviews on these broad topics. We are also interested in contributions from both experimental and theoretical studies with a quantitative approach to the question of Mtb dissemination.

Studies involving various cutting edge methodologies, such as the use of barcoded strains, ultra-low-dose infection, and tissue and whole body imaging are most welcome for submission to this Special Issue. 

We are looking for a combination of review articles, opinion- or hypothesis-generating papers, and primary research articles.

Dr. Vitaly Ganusov
Guest Editor

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• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• lung
• TB
• dissemination
• extrapulmonary TB
• lymph nodes
• spleen
• brain
• bone marrow