Gene therapy based in antimicrobial peptides and proinflammatory cytokine prevents reactivation of experimental latent tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) latent infection can lead to reactivation. The design of new strategies to prevent it is an important subject. B6D2F1 mice were infected intratracheally with a low dose of Mtb H37Rv to induce chronic infection. After 7 months, mice were treated with one dose of recombinant adenoviruses encoding TNF alpha, beta defensin-3 and LL37. Immunosupression was induced 1 month later with corticosterone. In comparison with the control group, mice treated with adenoviruses showed significantly less bacterial load and pneumonia, the adenoviruses encoding TNF alpha and LL37 being the most efficient. Gene therapy based in a proinflammatory cytokine or antimicrobial peptides is a potentially useful system to prevent reactivation of latent tuberculosis.Gene therapy in the form of recombinant adenovirus encoding proinflammatory cytokine or antimicrobial peptide is a potentially useful system to prevent reactivation of latent tuberculosis.Gene therapy in the form of recombinant adenovirus encoding proinflammatory cytokine or antimicrobial peptide is a potentially useful system to prevent reactivation of latent tuberculosis.