According to reporting in Science Daily, a team of researchers affiliated with MIT and the University of Helsinki have identified a protein found in human sweat that could offer protection against Lyme disease. The scientists also found that around a third of the population carries a different genetic variant of the protein that appears to increase vulnerability to the illness based on genome-wide association research. The study was first published in Nature Communications.
About The Study
The protein is called SCGB1D2 and it’s capable of inhibiting the growth of Borrelia burgdorferi, one of the bacteria most commonly causing Lyme disease in North America. The scientists are hoping that the protein could be the basis of a new, more effective treatment for Lyme disease. While in most cases Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics such as doxycycline, not all patients respond to this approach, resulting in chronic symptoms that can persist for years.
The study included a genome-wide association study using a Finnish data, which included the genomes of 410,000 people and their medical history. From this group, 7,000 had been diagnosed with the disease. They used this data in order to search for any genetic associations with Lyme disease, which led to the discovery of SCGB1D2. It’s classified as a secretoglobin, a type of protein usually found in the lining of organs such as the lungs.
The team evaluated the protein alongside a variant that they had genetically altered in the lab setting. When exposed to B. burgdorferi, the protein suppressed its growth; however, the variant that they had altered was much less effective, requiring nearly twice the amount of protein to achieve the same effect. More samples of the bacteria were exposed to the two protein variants and injected into mice. The mice whose bacteria had been exposed to the genetic altered protein developed Lyme disease; those with the regular SCGB1D2 protein did not.
Mice do not naturally produce this protein themselves, so future research could involve testing whether applying it to the skin of mice will protect them from Lyme disease. While a lot more research is needed to determine the full capabilities of the protein, there’s hope that it could be used to treat those patients that don’t respond well to the typical course of antibiotics used in treatment.
About Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia. This bacteria is commonly spread to humans through the bite of a tick. In the US, the species of tick associated with Lyme disease is called the deer tick or the black legged tick (Ixodes scapularis). A tick must be attached to a person for at least 36 hours to transmit the bacteria. Symptoms of this disease include a distinctive bullseye rash surrounding the bite, fatigue, malaise, headache, and fever. Delays in treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, such as facial paralysis, mood changes, memory loss, sleeping difficulties, meningitis, arthritis, and others. In most cases, prompt treatment can effectively cure the infection. Delayed treatment increases the chance of serious complications and long term, lingering symptoms. The number of cases of the disease appears to be growing annually. To learn more about Lyme disease, click here.
