Tissue Infection Models
Tissue Infection Models - Related Videos
03:16
Processing of Infected Tissues for Bacterial Enumeration in a Mouse Co-Infection Model
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2026
Source: Lenhard, A., et al. A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness. J. Vis. Exp. (2022)This video demonstrates the processing of lungs from a mouse co-infected with a pathogenic bacterium and a virus. Mincing, homogenizing, and plating the lung tissue allows quantification of bacterial load, indicating bacterial spread to the lungs and disease severity.
02:42
Quantification of Tissue Bacterial Load in a Mouse Model of Chronic Intestinal Infection
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2026
Source: Lo, B. C., et al. Chronic Salmonella Infection Induced Intestinal Fibrosis. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)The video demonstrates the quantification of bacterial load in a mouse model of chronic infection with streptomycin-resistant Salmonella typhimurium. Following euthanasia and sterile dissection, cecal and splenic tissues are harvested, homogenized with steel beads to release bacteria, and serially diluted. Dilutions are plated on selective agar, and visible colonies are counted to estimate...
10:10
A 3D Human Lung Tissue Model for Functional Studies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
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Cited by 40 •
2015
Human tuberculosis infection is a complex process, which is difficult to model in vitro. Here we describe a novel 3D human lung tissue model that recapitulates the dynamics that occur during infection, including the migration of immune cells and early granuloma formation in a physiological environment.
07:02
Animal Model of Implant-Associated Infections in Mice
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2025
The present protocol describes a mouse model employing subcutaneous dorsal implantation to investigate implant-associated infections, enabling comprehensive investigation of pathophysiological mechanisms and supporting the development of diagnostic criteria with targeted therapeutic strategies.
12:30
Use of Galleria mellonella as a Model Organism to Study Legionella pneumophila Infection
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Cited by 108 •
2013
The larva of the wax moth Galleria mellonella was recently established as an in vivo model to study Legionella pneumophila infection. Here, we demonstrate fundamental techniques to characterize the pathogenesis of Legionella in the larvae, including inoculation, measurement of bacterial virulence and replication as well as extraction and analysis of infected hemocytes.
FAQs
The extracellular matrix and arrangement of host cells provide structural context that isolated cells do not reproduce. Together with controlled culture conditions, they allow investigators to examine how pathogens attach to tissue-like surfaces, invade neighboring cells, replicate within an organized setting, and contribute to tissue damage. This context helps connect biochemical interactions with changes occurring across the modeled tissue.
These models can be used to examine molecular interactions between microbial factors and host proteins, cell membranes, and signaling pathways. Such interactions help explain how pathogen attachment or invasion proceeds and how host responses develop. Because the system retains tissue organization, researchers can relate specific biochemical events to pathogen replication, tissue damage, and broader cellular responses.
Tissue-based systems occupy an intermediate experimental context between simplified cell cultures and animal studies. They add organized host cells and extracellular matrix while retaining controlled culture conditions, making infection processes more physiologically relevant than isolated-cell approaches. At the same time, they provide an alternative framework for investigating pathogen behavior, host responses, and treatments without relying solely on animal models.
A basic design combines relevant host cells with extracellular matrix and controlled culture conditions. The selected components should support examination of the infection features under study, such as attachment, invasion, replication, tissue damage, or immune and biochemical responses. Maintaining control over the culture environment helps researchers interpret changes as consequences of host-pathogen interactions within the modeled tissue.
Researchers can track several stages and consequences of infection, including pathogen attachment, invasion, replication, and tissue damage. The same systems can reveal immune responses and biochemical responses generated during host-pathogen contact. These outcomes provide complementary information, linking pathogen behavior with changes in host proteins, membranes, and signaling pathways rather than treating each event in isolation.
The models support evaluation of antimicrobial treatments and investigation of virulence mechanisms. Treatment studies can examine how an intervention affects infection-related outcomes such as pathogen replication or tissue damage, while virulence studies focus on microbial factors that shape host interaction. Their biochemical context also helps relate treatment or virulence effects to host proteins, membranes, and signaling pathways.