Tularaemia: A challenging zoonosis

In recent years, several emerging zoonotic vector-borne infections with potential impact on human health have been identified in Europe, including tularaemia, caused by Francisella tularensis.This remarkable pathogen, one of the most virulent microorganisms currently known, has been detected in increasingly new settings and in a wide range of wild species, including lagomorphs, rodents, carnivores, fish and invertebrate arthropods. Also, a renewed concern has arisen with regard to F. tularensis: its potential use by bioterrorists. Based on the information published concerning the latest outbreaks, the aim of this paper is to review the main features of the agent, its biology, immunology and epidemiology. Moreover, special focus will be given to zoonotic aspects of the disease, as tularaemia outbreaks in human populations have been frequently associated with disease in animals

A research on coliform bacteria in the Golden Horn Estuary (Sea of Marmara, Turkey)

Spatio-temporal variation of the total and fecal coliform groups as bacteriological indicators in the marine environment was investigated in surface water of the Golden Horn Estuary in monthly intervals between June 2012 and May 2013. Temperature, salinity, Secchi depth, pH, dissolved oxygen and oxygen saturation were measured at 10 stations simultaneously with bacteriological analyses. Highest total coliform counts in surface water was 940x10(3) CFU/100 ml at the Alibeykoy Creek in November and highest fecal coliform was 178x10(3) CFU/100 ml at the same area in October. The lowest coliform counts were observed during summer, while the highest counts were in autumn. During rainy days, some domestic wastewater overflowing from sewerages are discharged to the estuary, which those water adversely affect water quality. The total and fecal coliform counts in surface water increased gradually from the lower to upper section of the estuary. Although the Black Sea water pumping from the Strait of Istanbul to the Golden Horn by Kagithane Creek is an important factor in the decrease of pollution and better water quality, there are still some runoff materials including uncontrolled discharges particularly in the Alibeykoy Creek. The results of this study showed that that the bacteriological pollution increased due to municipal wastewater resulting from overflow after the precipitation and the surrounding waters of the Golden Horn basin mix with surface waters. Thus, the most important factor in order to decrease the bacteriological pollution is to provide a full control of the surface discharges

CAR T Cells Releasing IL-18 Convert to T-Bethigh FoxO1low Effectors that Exhibit Augmented Activity against Advanced Solid Tumors

Adoptive therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected T cells has achieved remarkable efficacy in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies. However, eradicating large solid tumors in advanced stages of the disease remains challenging. We explored augmentation of the anti-tumor immune reaction by establishing an acute inflammatory reaction. Systematic screening indicates that IL-18 polarizes CAR T cells toward T-bethigh FoxO1low effectors with an acute inflammatory response. CAR T cells engineered with inducible IL-18 release exhibited superior activity against large pancreatic and lung tumors that were refractory to CAR T cells without cytokines. IL-18 CAR T cell treatment was accompanied by an overall change in the immune cell landscape associated with the tumor. More specifically, CD206− M1 macrophages and NKG2D+ NK cells increased in number, whereas Tregs, suppressive CD103+ DCs, and M2 macrophages decreased, suggesting that “iIL18 TRUCKs” can be used to sensitize large solid tumor lesions for successful immune destruction