With hundreds of thousands of people in the United States diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, researchers are looking for new ways to prevent infection and treat the disease.
A team led by Yi-Pin Lin, associate professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, has received a $4 million National Institutes of Health grant to advance development of a Lyme disease vaccine and new therapies for early infection.
The research builds on a previous study showing that an engineered version of a protein called CspZ generated a strong immune response and protected mice against Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. CspZ acts as a molecular shield, helping Borrelia burgdorferi disable a critical component of the host’s first-line immune defenses. Lin and his colleagues modified the protein to expose a hidden vulnerable region, allowing the immune system to recognize it and produce antibodies that target the bacterium.