University of Connecticut researchers have taken a big step forward in figuring out how to fight Lyme disease. This complete disease affects an average of 90,000 to almost 500,000 people in the United States annually. Brandon Jutras and his team screened to identify those 500 molecules. Their goal was to identify a compound that would most potently prevent proliferation of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Their discoveries would be the basis of innovative treatments and preventives for this disease that affects so many lives.
Lyme disease can be extremely impactful on the lives of people who get the disease. Up to 15 percent of COVID patients still experience long-term symptoms, including fatigue, body pain and brain fog. Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) adds a significant complicating factor. It’s hard for patients and healthcare providers alike to traverse this challenging condition. Through an extensive outreach process with stakeholders, Jutras and his team uncovered an epiphany. Untreated, patients with post-infectious Lyme arthritis still display peptidoglycans — bacteria cell wall remnants — in their joint fluid.
In mice with Lyme arthritis, peptidoglycan fragments deposited throughout the body become concentrated in the liver. They can remain there for weeks or months. Jutras noted that “that was kind of the impetus of the study, to figure out if the chemical components of the peptidoglycan were important in the persistence.”
In their most recent study, published in Science Translational Medicine on April 23, the team studied the effects of piperacillin on bacterial replication. This important FDA-approved antibiotic is largely used to treat common infections like pneumonia. The findings suggest that piperacillin may be able to prevent new infections by interfering with the cell wall formation of Borrelia burgdorferi.
Jutras expressed optimism about the future applications of their findings: “We’re really excited about the idea of using this directly after a tick bite for high-risk people.” Such a preventive availability option could be a much-needed gamechanger for people living in Lyme disease hot spots.
Co-author Mecaila McClune emphasized the importance of understanding the remnants left behind by the bacterium, stating, “Something is being left behind that is continuing to elicit an immune response.” Such understanding might open the door to more precision therapies. These treatments would address the infection directly, as well as the long-term outcomes that some survivors are now experiencing.
Challenges remain. Others infected with Lyme disease are reluctant to get the injections. This reluctance may have far-reaching implications in potentially undermining the preventive power of piperacillin. Justin Radolf, who was not involved in the research, pointed out the difficulty it poses. He further pointed out what this study could mean.
Researchers are continuing to explore the intricacies of Lyme disease and its causative agent. Their unconventional approach is shining new light on previously ignored and misunderstood facets of Borrelia burgdorferi biology. The results underscore the pressing need for further study. We need to create new treatment paradigms to address the multifaceted issues of Lyme disease.
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