Improved mouse model better mimics bacterial behavior in chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis

What is it about?

Animal laboratory models are of critical importance for studying human diseases and infections, and they play an essential role in developing and testing new treatments for those diseases. However, these models typically mirror the human disease symptoms without being evaluated quantitatively. In the case of animal models of human infections, the behavior of the bacteria causing the disease is generally not taken into account during model development and refinement. Here, we assessed a mouse model used to study lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and for the first time, quantified behavior of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa by comparing its gene expression during mouse infection to gene expression in the lungs of human patients. This comparison prompted us to alter how we grow the bacteria before inoculation, resulting in an improved model that better mimics P. aeruginosa infection of the CF lung.

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Photo by Jay Nlper on Unsplash

Photo by Jay Nlper on Unsplash

Why is it important?

By quantitatively evaluating and comparing mouse models of P. aeruginosa lung infections, we developed a refined model that is more relevant for studying chronic infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients; this model is positioned to more quickly advance developments of new treatments for the devastating human disease, cystic fibrosis.

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