Thursday, February 19, 2009

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Lyme Disease Virulence Discovered!

Hey Everyone,

Below is a very important news item pertaining to Lyme disease. This could be the kind of breakthrough we have been waiting for.

Be well,
Richard


SOURCE: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, news release, Feb. 9, 2009)

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A protein that's essential for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease to become virulent has been identified by microbiologists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

The researchers said their finding may help lead to new methods of fighting the tick-borne infection.

This bacterial protein, called BmtA, aids in transporting the metal manganese from a host tick or mammal to the Lyme-disease causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.

In this study, the researchers examined the effect that B. burgdorferi genetically engineered to lack BmtA had on mice. In a test tube, the altered bacteria grows more slowly but isn't dramatically different from the normal version.

"When you try to grow it in a mouse, however, it can't grow," senior study author Dr. Michael Norgard, chairman of microbiology at UT Southwestern, said in a university news release. "The fact that the bacterium without this particular manganese transporter can't grow in a mouse raises important questions about what aspects of physiology and metabolism contribute to the pathogenicity of the organism."

The researchers also learned that B. burgdorferi doesn't seem to require iron to function.

"Out of the thousands of bacteria known, the Lyme disease agent and only one or two other bacterial species do not require iron for growth," lead author Dr. Zhiming Ouyang, a postdoctoral researcher in microbiology, said in the news release. "That raises the question as to what other metal co-factors the Lyme disease bacterium depends on to carry out the work that iron does for all these other biological systems. Our research suggests that manganese is a really important one."

The study was published in this week's online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The next step is to determine exactly how manganese functions in B. burgdorferi.

"I really think that there's something to the notion that manganese may regulate the expression of other virulence factors. It could be that manganese has more of an indirect effect, but more research is needed to determine what must happen for Borrelia burgdorferi to become virulent," Norgard said.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Scientists identify potential key to Lyme disease

Hello everyone,
I had to get this on the blog. This could be great news for Lyme disease patients. Let's hope this research is the real deal. I know many of us are hoping for a major breakthrough on this terrible disease. If you haven't watched the film "Under Our Skin", please do yourself a favor and buy the DVD. It is the best film ever made about Lyme disease, in my opinion. Go to http://www.underourskin.com to watch the extended trailer for the film. I hope everyone suffering with the aches and pains of Lyme disease will find comfort in this news article and the new film. Hang in there, miracles are starting to happen.

The best to everyone,
Richard



Feb. 9, 2009

Dallas, Texas
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept353744/files/517121.html

Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have
identified a protein that may help give Lyme disease its bite.

The findings suggest that the bacterial protein, which aids in
transporting the metal manganese, is essential for the bacterium that
causes Lyme disease to become virulent.

“We believe our findings provide a foundation for further defining metal homeostasis in this human pathogen and may lead to new strategies for thwarting Lyme disease,” said Dr. Michael Norgard, chairman of microbiology at UT Southwestern and senior author of a study now online and in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lyme disease, discovered in 1977, is the most prevalent tick-borne
infection in the U.S. Borrelia burgdorfei, the bacterium that causes
Lyme disease, lives in infected mammals and in the midgut of ticks. When
an infected tick bites an animal or a human, the bacteria are
transmitted to the new host. Infection causes fever, malaise, fatigue,
headache, muscle and joint aches, and a characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash
that surrounds the site of infection.

To establish infection, however, the bacterium also must acquire a
number of essential nutrients, including metals like manganese from its
mammalian and tick hosts. Until now, no metal transporter responsible
for this acquisition had been identified in this bacterium.

In the current study, microbiologists examined whether bacteria
genetically engineered to lack this manganese transporter, called BmtA,
transmitted Lyme disease to ticks and mice. The bacterium lacking the
transporter, Dr. Norgard said, grows a bit more slowly in the test tube
but is not dramatically different from the normal version.

“When you try to grow it in a mouse, however, it can’t grow,” he said.
“The fact that the bacterium without this particular manganese
transporter can’t grow in a mouse raises important questions about what
aspects of physiology and metabolism contribute to the pathogenicity of
the organism.”

Lead author Dr. Zhiming Ouyang, postdoctoral researcher in microbiology
at UT Southwestern, said another newly discovered characteristic about
the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is that it doesn’t seem to
require iron to function, something most other pathogens need to survive.

“Out of the thousands of bacteria known, the Lyme disease agent and only
one or two other bacterial species do not require iron for growth,” Dr.
Ouyang said. “That raises the question as to what other metal co-factors
the Lyme disease bacterium depends on to carry out the work that iron
does for all these other biological systems. Our research suggests that
manganese is a really important one.”

The next step is to understand the exact mechanism of how manganese
functions in the organism.

“I really think that there’s also something to the notion that manganese
may regulate the expression of other virulence factors,” Dr. Norgard
said. “It could be that manganese has more of an indirect effect, but
more research is needed to determine what must happen for Borrelia
burgdorfei to become virulent.”

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine collaborated on
the study.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases.

About Me

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Pueblo, Colorado, United States
I am a Chronic Lyme disease patient. I was bitten by a tick in 2001 and have been very sick ever since. Subsequently, you could say I am a Lyme disease junkie.I thirst for any information about it,any treatments, research etc. It has been a life altering experience, which has kept me away from our business and at home most of the time. I use to own A-1 Barricade and Sign Inc. here in Pueblo, Co, but because of the Lyme disease, my sons are running the business for the most part with my wife. I have been married for 48 years to a wonderful woman who is also my best friend. We have five children, all grown. Four boys live here in Pueblo and my only daughter lives in Bonney Lake, Washington. We miss her a lot. I have 7 grandchildren, which are the greatest of all. They are all exceptionally beautiful! The last thing you need to know about me is that I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Because of this I have the knowledge that life is eternal and that it does not end here, but it will go on after death because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This truth I bear witness of!