: An Infection Model for Screening Compounds Against the Complex.

Drug screening models have a vital role in the development of novel antimycobacterial agents which are urgently needed to tackle drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). We recently established the larvae of the insect (greater wax moth) as a novel infection model for the complex. Here we demonstrate its use as a rapid and reproducible screen to evaluate antimycobacterial drug efficacy using larvae infected with bioluminescent BCG . Treatment improved larval survival outcome and, with the exception of pyrazinamide, was associated with a significant reduction in mycobacterial bioluminescence over a 96 h period compared to the untreated controls. Isoniazid and rifampicin displayed the greatest efficacy and survival outcome. Thus infected with bioluminescent mycobacteria, can rapidly determine drug efficacy, and has the potential to significantly reduce and/or replace the number of animals used in TB research.