Lyme in the 21st Century
Published on Apr 20, 2016 Ten of the world’s top scientists from leading institutions discuss their scientific insights on the problems and potential solutions for Lyme disease. Notes from the video – Senator Richard Blumenthall US Senate Speech ‘The cases of Lyme are exploding in number and their severity impacts our economy as well as quality of life for Americans’ Introduced by David Rothman– Lyme Advocate CDC reported 10 fold increase in the number of cases in 2013. Dr Neil Spector Cancer researcher talks about implications in organ donation. He had a heart transplant due to undiagnosed Lyme Disease. ‘In the era of genomics are we using archaic unreliable methods to test for Lyme?’ Dr William H Robinson Stanford University talks about the need to develop next generation tests that are much more accurate and sensitive to identify people with Borrelia Burgdorferi as well as other tick borne infections. Dr Safwan Jaradeh Stanford University Neuromuscular and Neurological faculty. ‘Nobody seems to think well could it be something like Lyme.’ Dr Brian Fallon Columbia University Director of the Lyme and Tick-borne diseases research center at Columbia. says – Lyme can cause many symptoms he talks about a child who manifested with compulsive cycling behaviour and anorexia which was caused by Lyme Disease and with treatment symptoms went away. Dr Neil Spector goes on to say- ‘Over 300000 cases a year I think demands more attention than Zika virus which overnight becomes a W.H.O. global health crisis. So it’s not to minimize the problems of Zika but it is saying there are...NORTHEASTERN RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE FOUR PROMISING NEW TREATMENTS FOR LYME DISEASE
‘when Northeastern researchers reported last May how the bacterium that causes the disease evades antibiotics, suggesting new treatments, the media and the general public took notice. University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis, who leads the Lyme disease research team, is now expanding that therapeutic reach with the help of a $1.5 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. The team is pursuing four arms of treatment-related research at Northeastern’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, which Lewis directs. They are: a mouse study of a regimen that eradicated the bacterium in the test tube, setting the stage for human trials; antibiotic cocktails using existing drugs; strategies to discover new drugs that selectively target the Lyme bacterium; and ways to alter the composition of the microbiome—the community of microorganisms inhabiting the human body—to stop the autoimmune reactions that characterize the disease. All four show exciting promise. The grant, Lewis says, “will give us the flexibility to test our approaches in parallel, which will save us an enormous amount of time.” If Lyme is caught early, patients generally recover quickly when treated with antibiotics, primarily doxycyline. However, 10 to 20 percent of patients go on to develop a debilitating chronic condition called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS, with symptoms that include extreme fatigue, arthritis, muscle pain, and cognitive difficulties. “I find it amazing that when you show up at the doctor’s office you are not told that there is a 10 to 20 percent chance that your life as you know it has ended,” says Lewis. “Nobody seems to be focusing on the next step: How to prevent the subsequent rise of the chronic condition.” ...
