Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a novel 3D hydrogel culture system that mimics the mammalian lung environment, which can track and study how tuberculosis bacteria infect lung cells and test the efficacy of therapeutics used to treat TB.

• Scientists opined that the current culture models used to study TB infection have several limitations.
• They are typically culture plates that are monolayered and do not accurately mimic the 3D microenvironment inside the lungs.
• The microenvironment experienced by the cells in such 2D culture is vastly different from the actual extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding lung tissue.