Monitoring Tuberculosis Drug Activity in Live Animals by Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging

Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death due to infection with a single pathogenic agent,Mycobacterium tuberculosis . In the absence of an effective vaccine, new, more powerful antibiotics are required to halt the growing spread of multidrug-resistant strains and to shorten the duration of TB treatment. However, assessing drug efficacy at the preclinical stage remains a long and fastidious procedure that delays the progression of drugs down the pipeline and towards the clinic.