Anatomic and Cellular Niches for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Latent Tuberculosis Infection

Latent tuberculosis has been recognized for over a century, but discovery of new niches, where Mycobacterium tuberculosis resides, continues. We evaluated literature on M.tuberculosis locations during latency, highlighting that mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells harbor organisms in sensitized asymptomatic individuals. Studies suggest that mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells may be niches for M tuberculosis during latent infection. We propose that propagation of infection by these cells may contribute to anatomical and cellular distribution of M tuberculosis in latently infected individuals.