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A Novel Neuroinvasive Infection Modality For Francisella Tularensis Elicits Neuroinflammation Resulting In Cellular Damage, Mireya Griselle Ramos-Muniz
A Novel Neuroinvasive Infection Modality For Francisella Tularensis Elicits Neuroinflammation Resulting In Cellular Damage, Mireya Griselle Ramos-Muniz
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Francisella tularensis (Ft.) is a gram-negative coccobacillus bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease tularemia in humans. Ft. causes the most severe, often fatal, form of the disease through inhalation. However, Ft. is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with infected animal carcasses such as rodents and rabbits, consumption of contaminated food or water, or through arthropod bites, particularly ticks. Due to its extremely low infectious dose, high mortality rate, and potential use as a biological warfare agent, Ft. is classified by the CDC as a "Tier 1 select agent". Ft. infection triggers an overactive inflammatory response, termed a "cytokine storm", …
Suppression Of Inflammation Of Cytokine Following Induced Francisella Tularensis Infection, Nicole Renee Setzu
Suppression Of Inflammation Of Cytokine Following Induced Francisella Tularensis Infection, Nicole Renee Setzu
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Francisella tularensis is intracellular bacteria which is the causative agent of the disease Tularemia. Highly virulent in both humans and animals, it takes only as few as 10 microorganisms to cause a lethal infection. The bacteria can enter via direct or indirect routes causing the activations of the host innate inflammatory response to ensue. The bacteria invade host dendritic cells and neutrophils but predominately macrophages. This causes a mass inflammatory response resulting in the cytokine storm. Activation of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells has been shown to suppress inflammation in in vivo studies. Development and optimization of an in vitro …