A Quantitative Method for the Study of HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Coinfection

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) syndemic interactions are a major global health concern. Despite the clinical significance of coinfection, our understanding of the cellular pathophysiology and the therapeutic pharmacodynamic impact of coinfection is limited. Here, we use single-round infectious HIV-1 pseudotyped viral particles expressing green fluorescent protein alongside M. tuberculosis expressing mCherry to study pathogenesis and treatment. We report that HIV-1 infection inhibited intracellular replication of M. tuberculosis and demonstrate the therapeutic activity of antiviral treatment (efavirenz) and antimicrobial treatment (rifampicin). The described method could be applied for detailed mechanistic studies to inform the development of novel treatment strategies.