Rapid in vivo screening of experimental drugs for tuberculosis using gamma interferon gene-disrupted mice

We have developed a rapid new in vivo method for screening experimental drugs for their activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by using the gamma interferon gene-disrupted (GKO) C57BL/6 mouse. Due to the rapid growth of the infection, statistical differences indicating positive efficacy of active compounds can be seen after only 8 days of treatment. To validate this model, several fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and gatifloxacin, were tested in parallel.