Animal Models of Ocular Tuberculosis: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Abstract

The pathogenesis of ocular tuberculosis (TB) has remained unclear due to the challenges of performing mechanistic studies on clinical samples. Animal models have the potential to bridge these gaps by providing information about ocular dissemination and localization of mycobacteria, innate and adaptive immune response, and granuloma formation in the eye. Here, we critically review various animal models of ocular TB from the early 20century to date and derive novel insights into pathogenesis of ocular TB that have direct implications on the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Future directions on experimental approaches to understanding pathogenesis of ocular TB are also discussed.