LYME SCI: Do sleeper cells hold key to “turning off” Borrelia?
A recent article* about “sleeper cells,” co-authored by researchers at New York Medical College and the CDC, acknowledges something many Lyme researchers have suspected for decades.
Namely, that Borrelia, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, has well-developed mechanisms of persistence that permit it to survive in its hosts.
(*Since this blog was first posted, the CDC’s affiliation with the original article has been removed. To see original notation, click here: BbSleeperCellsAug2017 )
These authors go farther and describe the genetic coding in Borrelia, called the “stringent response,” which allows Borrelia to persist in the human host as well as the tick. Understanding the stringent response and the way it allows persistence may be key to advances in precision medicine and the development of more effective vaccines, diagnostic tests, and antibiotics.
The authors state:
The stringent response links cell division, bacterial growth, intermediary metabolism, chemotaxis and motility, morphotypic transformations, and virulence properties necessary to survive environmental challenges.. . . [These factors are] . . .essential for understanding the ability of this organism to persist in its hosts and will be critical to informing the design of relevant vaccines and antimicrobials.
As early as 1999, Dr. Willy Burgdorfer (the scientist who discovered the spirochete that causes Lyme disease) told the audience at the 12th International Conference on Lyme Disease that Borrelia appeared to exhibit a survival mechanism that helped it overcome or escape unfavorable conditions.
He believed that this survival mechanism made spirochetes capable of producing “prolonged, chronic and periodically recurrent disease.”
How these cells evade antibiotics
According to the researchers, in the presence of antibiotics, sleeper cells may shut down many of their systems, take on different forms (such as round bodies and microcolonies) and stop replicating. Because many antibiotics are only effective on growing or active bacteria, these sleeper cells are thus able to evade treatment. The sole purpose of these sleeper cells is to survive and re-emerge when conditions are more favorable.
There is a growing body of evidence of persisters and persistent infection with Lyme disease including research by Embers at Tulane University, Lewis at Northeastern University, Baumgarth at UC Davis, and Zhang at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Ying Zhang and his group at Johns Hopkins University have done a great deal of work identifying multiple pathways that are involved in Borrelia persister formation.
Zhang states, “The stringent response has been shown to be an important persister mechanism in many other bacteria such as E. coli and M. tuberculosis. However, this is just one of the many persister genes and part of the complex persister gene network.”
Opening the door to precision medicine
The sleeper cell article is important because it looks into the genetic and microbiologic aspects of Borrelia, offering evidence of immune evasion, persistent infection and the potential for antibiotic resistance.
The authors identify what appears to be a genetic switch that turns off and on Borrelia’s ability to adapt in hostile environments, both in the tick and in the human host.
Genomics–the study of genomes and how sets of genes function–opens the door to precision medicine. This a medical model that is tailored to each person’s genes and environment.
As Dr. Neil Spector explains, with many types of cancer treatment, the key to personalized medicine is using genomic sequencing to find the genetic switch that is key to the organism’s survival–and then turning that switch off.
Genetic markers and molecular targets are necessary for developing precision medicine. Because designer drugs are so desperately needed for Lyme disease, this study may provide the pharmaceutical industry a key to finding new treatments.
Dr. Zhang of Johns Hopkins feels encouraged by the “Sleeper Cell” article adding: “Clearly, this is an important step towards improved understanding of the persistence phenomenon in Bb, and more importantly, to design treatment against these persister targets including the stringent response.”
LymeSci is written by Lonnie Marcum, a Licensed Physical Therapist and mother of a daughter with Lyme. Follow her on Twitter: @LonnieRhea Email her at: lmarcum@lymedisease.org .
References:
- Sleeper cells: The stringent response and persistence in the Borreliella (Borrelia) burgdorferi enzootic cycle.
- Willy Burgdorfer Keynote Address – The Complexity of Vector-borne Spirochetes (Borrelia spp) via LymeRICK
- Persister Cells, Dormancy, and Infectious Diseases.
- Persisters, persistant infections and the Yin-Yang Model
- Persister mechanisms in Borrelia burgdorferi: implications for improved intervention
After 17 years of being diagnosed with Lymes Disease and extensive blood test revealed I still have one bar of Lyme. What has this done to me? I have been diagnosed with Mixed Tissue Connective Disease. It has taken years to finally have a name put to my medical condition. Now it has progressed to Systemic Scleroderma.
My life was nearly taken from me when Lyme caused encephalitis and my life again is being threatened.
I am one who has harbored ” Sleeper Cells “. I thank you for the research, however, it’s too late for me.
Sincerest regards
Deborah Gibson
Thank you for reading my blog, Deborah. My heart goes out to you and all others who are suffering. I hope we are able to find a cure soon.
After 29 years of miserable debilitation from Lyme, et al, this finally provides some hope for persons with these infections. Since I am already very compromised and 62 years old, I doubt it will help me, but, for all of you younger Lymies, hang in there!
Thank you for reading my blog, Martha. The research is certainly encouraging. The sooner we find a cure, the better for all. Best wishes to you.
So do I get a refund now for what I’ve paid in medical bills, because the insurance companies going off incorrect CDC guidelines for decades? Hmmmmm, the CDC is a joke.
That’s why it’s rather surprising that they co-authored this article.
I’m due to see a specialist soon and this seems to be pertinent information to discuss with the doctor. “Sleeper cells” seems to explain why I’m left with intermittent, arthritic symptoms in my wrist and finger joints. I’m wonder if these symptoms will remain just in those areas or will become more wide spread when the opportunity arises.
Thanks for reading my blog. These are good questions. Dr. Horowitz offers suggestions for treating persistent Lyme in his new book. Good luck with the new specialist.
Thank you! Great article!! My daughter is two years in to our lyme and co/pandas journey and doing much better but it sure was a rough road to get here! She was first misdiagnosed with systemic lupus then with somatoform d/o. This gives me hope and it’s a great article to share with those who do not believe what lyme and co can do.
Thank you for reading & sharing. Wishing you and your daughter all the best!
They will never find a cure for lyme. NEVER. Like cancer and other diseases it is way too lucrative for everyone, except the victims of course. Finding the cures for many of these diseases it could mean a partial collapse of the current economy. This “cure” would likely start from a very accurate testing as well as recognition of the chronicity of this vector born illness. Again, we are not even close to it. Once I am dead, I will not care any longer. For the time being I just waddle along trying various protocols, like so many of us, living in hope that this or that…or the other might work.
I agree that an accurate test is what we need. One that distinguishes between current and past infection.
Thankfully, we have amazing scientists like Dr. Spector and Zhang poring their heart and soul into finding a cure. I do hold hope.
Lonnie,
I feel like the kid in the back of a bus who is jumping up and down making a noise! From here the most important fact is that the paper was written by a broadly diversified group of highly skilled professionals in the following fields;
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
2Department of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
3Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
(A fascinating group of observers, just consider their viewpoints.)
YELLING: THEY ARE ALL FROM VALHALLA!
It’s Wormser’s stomping grounds, and they obliterate any foundation stones the “Worm” once walked on. Add in Steere’s 1986 “confession” that the IgM response continues well beyond the finish of an antibiotic run, showing ongoing infection, and well…
From Lt. Columbo,
“Once the ball starts rolling down hill, PUSH!”
Ha! Lane, you just made my day.
I think you and I had the same response when we read who the authors of the paper are. The paper is long but well worth the read–full of references to persisters and persistence. Also did a good job of distinguishing the key difference in infectivity between nymphal & adult ticks. Good stuff. Let’s keep the ball rolling!
I always wondered how long it would take before the CDC would have to acknowledge persistence in borrelia. I think that the research coming from major universities across the country has put pressure on them to come out with this study. This way they have the opportunity to get out in front of this – act like it is “new research” instead of being revealed as either fools, liars or criminals.
I have to say that since I was diagnosed with Lyme 29 years ago, given 30 days of doxy, and am still sick, that it probably doesn’t matter whether or not the infection, or rather infections, are “current or past.” It only gets worse! Believe me! Also, it seems that the fact that you can contract these infections over and over again, thus needing treatment AGAIN, or have multiple infections multiple times that are not all treated, is the present norm.