Mammalian cell cultures as models for Mycobacterium tuberculosis-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) interaction studies: A review

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infections have remained a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in Southern Africa. Yet our understanding of the molecular interactions between the pathogens has remained poor, primarily due to lack of suitable preclinical models for such studies. We reviewed the use, this far, of mammalian cell culture models in HIV-MTB interaction studies. Studies have described the use of primary human cell cultures, including monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) fractions of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), alveolar macrophages (AM), cell lines such as the monocyte-derived macrophage cell line (U937), T lymphocyte cell lines (CEMx174, ESAT-6-specific CD4(+) T-cells) and an alveolar epithelial cell line (A549) and special models such as stem cells, three dimensional (3D) or organoid cell models [including a blood-brain barrier (BBB) cell model] in HIV-MTB interaction studies. The use of cell cultures from other mammals, including: mouse cell lines [macrophage cell lines RAW 264.7 and J774.2, fibroblast cell lines (NIH 3T3, C3H clones), embryonic fibroblast cell lines and T-lymphoma cell lines (S1A.TB, TIMI.4 and R1.1)]; rat (T cells: Rat2, RGE, XC and HH16, and alveolar cells: NR8383) and primary guinea pigs derived AMs, in HIV-MTB studies is also described. Given the spectrum of the models available, cell cultures offer great potential for host-HIV-MTB interactions studies.