Tularemia bacteria and mouse macrophages

The image, taken with a fluorescent microscope, shows mouse macrophages (red) untreated and treated with CLDC+MPF 12 hours after infection with a virulent strain of Francisella tularensis. Intracellular F. tularensis bacteria are stained green. On the left, untreated mouse macrophages fail to control replication of F. tularensis. In contrast, cells activated with the CLDC+MPF therapeutic (on the right) have nearly eliminated all of the bacteria.

(Image comes from a study published online May 27, 2010, in PLoS Pathogens, Ireland et al.)

NIAID/RML