Project Summary
Human tuberculosis (TB) granulomas are complex three-dimensional (3D) lung tissue lesions that form in
response to infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). TB granulomas are comprised of multiple cell types
and are the critical site of host-pathogen interactions that determine disease outcome. The host-pathogen
interaction in TB is complex and different granulomas can either progress or regress in the same individual
concurrently, demonstrating that local granuloma factors determine progression versus protection. Granulomas
expand and organize by the recruitment of additional cells including: monocytes recruited from the blood that
differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells, stromal fibroblasts which deposit extracellular matrix (ECM)
and secreted factors that influence host cell survival and Mtb growth, and T and B lymphocytes that localize to
the peripheral regions of the granuloma. Despite the importance of these events, the signals that mediate cell
recruitment, aggregation, and function within human TB granulomas are poorly understood, largely due to the
limitations of current experimental models of human TB pathogenesis. To address this need, we have developed
tissue-engineered, self-assembling 3D biomimetic human TB granulomas (BHTGs) from human peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMCs). BHTGs recapitulate key architectural elements of human TB granulomas: a central
core of mononuclear phagocytes containing live mycobacteria that grows via cell-to-cell spread, progressive
tissue growth and reorganization through the recruitment of monocytes, and 3D cell organization including
internal localization of monocytes and macrophages and the peripheral localization of lymphocytes. In this
proposal, we seek to more fully recapitulate the cellular interactions in TB granulomas and will apply our model
as a biological discovery platform to contribute unprecedented mechanistic and behavioral insight into the factors
governing TB granuloma progression through two Specific Aims. In Aim 1, we will identify the contributions of
specific cell types and ECM to BHTG structure, phenotype, and Mtb growth. We will specifically investigate the
signals regulating monocyte differentiation and migratory behavior, and understand microenvironmental factors
that optimize the containment and killing of Mtb. In Aim 2, we introduce a novel 3D model of vascularized human
TB granuloma which will identify the mechanisms by which TB granulomas impact vascular morphogenesis,
barrier function, and endothelial activation to facilitate monocyte homing and local vascular egress. To achieve
these Aims, we have assembled a highly complementary research team with expertise in host immunity to Mtb
(Ernst) and engineered biomimetic human culture models (Kutys). We will establish the long-term foundation for
a new experimental platform to study TB granulomas and generate unprecedented knowledge and
understanding of the dynamics of human TB granuloma generation, differentiation, and maintenance and the
determinants of TB outcomes. Ultimately, these efforts will establish a predictive framework, which can be widely
disseminated and adopted, for the identification and testing of new therapeutics for the control of human TB.