01263nas a2200217   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260001200043653001200055653002600067653001100093653002300104653002300127100001700150700001800167245007300185300001400258490000700272520075200279022001401031       2016                            d  c2016-0910aAnimals10aCommunicable Diseases10aHumans10aModels, Biological10aTissue engineering1 aMelody Mills1 aMary K. Estes00aPhysiologically relevant human tissue models for infectious diseases  a1540-15520 v213 aLimitations of animal infection models have engendered longstanding obstacles in basic science and translational research. Lack of suitable animal models, the need for better predictors of human immune responses and pathogens that grow poorly or not at all outside the human host impact our ability to study infectious agents that cause human disease, generation of essential tools for genetic manipulation of microbial pathogens and development of vaccines, therapeutics and host-targeted immunotherapies. The advent of conceptual and methodological advances in tissue engineering along with collaborative efforts between the bioengineering and infectious diseases scientific communities hold great promise to overcome these significant barriers.  a1878-5832