Immune System Disturbances After Borrelia burgdorferi Infection
Abstract
Infections with B. burgdorferi (Bb) cause persistent infections in many mammalian species, yet these species have an intact immune system. It can be concluded that Bb has ways to evade or even suppress the immune system in order to achieve persistence. Indeed, our previous work showed that Bb infection suppresses the development of fully functional antibody responses both to Bb, and also to other unrelated antigens. Yet, antibody responses are critically important for regulating interaction with the many bacteria and other microorganisms that surround us. This proposal seeks to understand whether the suppression of effective antibody responses by Bb can change the function of the gastrointestinal tract and cause the gut to become leaky and let some of the microbes from the lumen of the gut enter the blood stream. Such a breach in the normal barriers can cause a variety of ongoing symptoms that might persist, even after the Bb infection is treated with antibiotics, potentially explaining some of the ongoing symptoms experienced by patients suffering from Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). Thus, this proposal seeks to address multiple areas research directly relevant for the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2022 Tick-Borne Disease Research Program: (a) Bb immune evasion, (b) pathogenesis of persistent clinical manifestations associated with Lyme disease, and (c) the effects of tick-borne diseases on local and systemic immune responses. Expected outcomes of our studies would help identify new therapeutic therapies aimed at treating symptoms associated with PTLDS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310701
Entities
People
- Nicole Baumgarth
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University
- United States Army