Mycobacterium tuberculosis-driven processes in gene-disrupted mice

Mice which have disrupted genes for important components of the immune system have been used to study the role of these components in the immune response to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis . This has resulted in the identification of interleukin-12 (IL12), interferon-γ (IFNγ), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as being essential to the protective response. Less crucial but perhaps more intriguing roles for other molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) and IL6 have also been suggested by this kind of analysis.