Editing Agrobacterium (section)

==In humans==
Although generally seen as an infection in plants, ''Agrobacterium'' can be responsible for [[opportunistic infection]]s in humans with weakened [[immune system]]s,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hulse M, Johnson S, Ferrieri P | title = ''Agrobacterium'' infections in humans: experience at one hospital and review | journal = Clinical Infectious Diseases | volume = 16 | issue = 1 | pages = 112–7 | date = January 1993 | pmid = 8448285 | doi = 10.1093/clinids/16.1.112 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dunne WM, Tillman J, Murray JC | title = Recovery of a strain of ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' with a mucoid phenotype from an immunocompromised child with bacteremia | journal = Journal of Clinical Microbiology | volume = 31 | issue = 9 | pages = 2541–3 | date = September 1993 | pmid = 8408587 | pmc = 265809 | doi = 10.1128/JCM.31.9.2541-2543.1993 }}</ref> but has not been shown to be a primary pathogen in otherwise healthy individuals. One of the earliest associations of human disease caused by ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' was reported by Dr. J. R. Cain in Scotland (1988).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cain JR | title = A case of septicaemia caused by ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' | journal = The Journal of Infection | volume = 16 | issue = 2 | pages = 205–6 | date = March 1988 | pmid = 3351321 | doi = 10.1016/s0163-4453(88)94272-7 }}</ref> A later study suggested that ''Agrobacterium'' attaches to and genetically transforms several types of human cells by integrating its T-DNA into the human cell genome. The study was conducted using cultured human tissue and did not draw any conclusions regarding related biological activity in nature.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kunik T, Tzfira T, Kapulnik Y, Gafni Y, Dingwall C, Citovsky V | title = Genetic transformation of HeLa cells by ''Agrobacterium'' | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 98 | issue = 4 | pages = 1871–6 | date = February 2001 | pmid = 11172043 | pmc = 29349 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.041327598 | bibcode = 2001PNAS...98.1871K | jstor = 3054968 | doi-access = free }}</ref>