Typhoid fever has no animal models. However, recently, some mouse models have been reported
Salmonella spp. are gram-negative flagellated bacteria that can cause food- and waterborne gastroenteritis and typhoid fever in humans. We now report that flagellin from Salmonella spp. is recognized in mouse intestine by Toll-like receptor 11 (TLR11). Absence of TLR11 renders mice more susceptible to infection by S. Typhimurium, with increased dissemination of the bacteria and enhanced lethality. Unlike S. Typhimurium, S. Typhi, a human obligatory pathogen that causes typhoid fever, is normally unable to infect mice. TLR11 is expressed in mice, but not in humans, and remarkably, we find that tlr11 / mice are efficiently infected with orally administered S. Typhi. We also find that tlr11 / mice can be immunized against S. Typhi. Therefore, tlr11 / mice represent a small-animal model for the study of the immune response to S. Typhi and for the development of vaccines against this important human pathogen.
Mathur, Ramkumar; Oh, Hyunju; Zhang, Dekai; Park, Sung-Gyoo; Seo, Jin; Koblansky, Alicia; Hayden, Matthew S.; Ghosh, Sankar (2012). A Mouse Model of Salmonella Typhi Infection. Cell, 151(3), 590–602. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.08.042
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Anatomy
- Tissue