Using animal models to develop new treatments for tuberculosis

Animal models have an important role in the preclinical evaluation of new antituberculosis drug candidates. Although it does not recapitulate the clinicopathological manifestations of tuberculosis in humans, the mouse remains the best characterized and most economical animal model for experimental chemotherapy. Provided care is taken to optimize the experimental conditions, the mouse has produced reliable data on the bactericidal and sterilizing activity of existing antituberculosis drugs and informed numerous clinical trials. Still, other animal models, especially the guinea pig, may have utility as confirmatory' or even alternative, models under certain circumstances. This chapter reviews some of the important considerations when selecting an animal model and presents a model for the sequential evaluation of a new compound with promising antituberculosis activity.