Jacobs-Wagner Lab: A bacterial remnant may explain arthritis in Lyme patients

entangled cells of the lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.  image credit constantin takacs jacobs wagner lab
June 21, 2019

Even after antibiotic treatment, some Lyme disease patients continue to suffer from debilitating arthritis. A new Yale study may explain why.

This study — led by the lab of Christine Jacobs-Wagner, the William H. Fleming, M.D. Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and professor of microbial pathogenesis — found peptidoglycan, a major component of bacterial cell walls, in the joint fluid of patients who had received intensive antibiotic treatment for Lyme arthritis. Also, in a mouse model, the Borrelia peptidoglycan was found to cause joint inflammation.

For the full story, visit: https://news.yale.edu/2019/06/21/bacterial-remnant-may-explain-arthritis-lyme-patients