Figure 1.

An active granuloma. This mass of cells represents an area of inflammation upon infection with Mtb. Immune cells crowd around the bacteria to contain it. The neutrophil's role in tuberculosis is largely unexplored. Studies demonstrate that while neutrophil effector function is triggered by Mtb, neutrophils are unable to kill the bacteria. Instead, neutrophils may act as a ‘Trojan horse’, transporting the bacteria around the body. Macrophages have been shown to be able to induce neutrophil Mtb killing via phagocytosis.