Publication date: Aug 01, 2026
In less than a year, SARS-CoV-2 managed to displace Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as the leading cause of death worldwide due to a single infectious agent. Both pathogens affect the respiratory tract, mainly the lungs. However, the impact that a possible Mtb + SARS-CoV-2 co-infection can have on the host response is still unknown. Herein we depict a rigorous system to evaluate the complex interaction between two simultaneous infections in vitro in a lung epithelial cell line (A549). Overall, the process includes eight steps: (1) Mtb culture, (2) cell maintenance, (3) preparation of viral stocks, (4) determination of infectious titers, (5) Mtb and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection, (6) determination of intracellular bacterial load, (7) SARS-CoV-2 viability test, and (8) optional UV-C validation assay for infectivity reduction. This comprehensive protocol will allow experimentalists to study the pathogenesis of co-infection in vitro and facilitate collaborative work in the literature. (c) 2026 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: In vitro coinfection model using Mtb and SARS-CoV-2 in human lung epithelial cells.
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Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | tuberculosis |
| pathway | KEGG | Tuberculosis |
| disease | MESH | Co-Infection |
| disease | MESH | death |
| disease | MESH | infections |
| disease | MESH | COVID 19 |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| pathway | REACTOME | Reproduction |
| disease | MESH | dis |
| disease | MESH | latent infection |
| disease | MESH | strains |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Cefaclor |
| disease | MESH | CCL |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trypsin |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Edetic Acid |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Phosphate ion |
| disease | MESH | PBS |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Water |
| disease | MESH | cap |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Nitrogen |
| disease | MESH | image |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Glycerin |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Oleic Acid |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Dextrose unspecified form |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Streptomycin |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Benzylpenicillin |
| disease | MESH | FBS |
| disease | MESH | bacterial infection |
| disease | MESH | face |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Angiotensin II |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Spinosad |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Ademetionine |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Dimethyl sulfoxide |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Hydroxyethyl Starch |
| disease | MESH | hes |
| disease | MESH | Latent Tuberculosis |
| disease | MESH | STAR |
| disease | MESH | malaria |
| pathway | KEGG | Malaria |
| disease | MESH | Lung Disease |