Francisella tularensis is a bacterium that has been recognized to be an agent responsible for the disease known as tularemia. This disease, in essence, sends the immune system of the organism into a hyperactive state, sometimes referred to as hypercytokinemia due to the elevated levels of various cytokines, which if not treated properly could lead to extremely high fevers, inflammation of various tissues, and (if contracted through aerosol form) the death of the infected organism. Specifically, Francisella tularensis attacks cells known as macrophages, which typically engulf and rid the system of infections by engulfing and killing them, however if faced with Francisella tularensis, the macrophage will only engulf the bacterium but not kill
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Charles Spencer is conducting one such study in UTEP, with an interesting focus that could prove to yield a more efficient cure than the aforementioned cure. Dr. Spencer’s project is based mainly on observations done in a previous study that highlights a distinct relationship between Francisella tularensis and Natural Killer-T cells (NKT cells). In this previous study it was observed that if NKT cells were removed from the organism, the infection of Francisella tularensis and the severity of the resulting tularemia was markedly worsened. Therefore, it was concluded that the NKT cells posed a relevant position in combating the bacterium. The project headed by Dr. Spencer involves two major goals needed in order to understand the relationship of these NKT cells and Francisella tularensis. The first goals is to examine and determine the function and mechanism of the reaction that occurs between Francisella tularensis and these NKT cells, essentially what do the NKT cells do in order to attack the bacterium. The second goal (and the goal of our laboratory group) is to determine a method or process that results in the stimulation of the production of these NKT cells, with the prediction that an increase in the presence of NKT cells will result in the potential eradication of Francisella tularensis from the organism, one such method that is being studied by Dr. Spencer is the augmentation of an enzymatic pathway, which can stimulate the production of a particular lipid, which in turn could result in the enhancement on the production of NKT cells expected in order to determine its effectiveness in combating Francisella
Charles Spencer is conducting one such study in UTEP, with an interesting focus that could prove to yield a more efficient cure than the aforementioned cure. Dr. Spencer’s project is based mainly on observations done in a previous study that highlights a distinct relationship between Francisella tularensis and Natural Killer-T cells (NKT cells). In this previous study it was observed that if NKT cells were removed from the organism, the infection of Francisella tularensis and the severity of the resulting tularemia was markedly worsened. Therefore, it was concluded that the NKT cells posed a relevant position in combating the bacterium. The project headed by Dr. Spencer involves two major goals needed in order to understand the relationship of these NKT cells and Francisella tularensis. The first goals is to examine and determine the function and mechanism of the reaction that occurs between Francisella tularensis and these NKT cells, essentially what do the NKT cells do in order to attack the bacterium. The second goal (and the goal of our laboratory group) is to determine a method or process that results in the stimulation of the production of these NKT cells, with the prediction that an increase in the presence of NKT cells will result in the potential eradication of Francisella tularensis from the organism, one such method that is being studied by Dr. Spencer is the augmentation of an enzymatic pathway, which can stimulate the production of a particular lipid, which in turn could result in the enhancement on the production of NKT cells expected in order to determine its effectiveness in combating Francisella