This article was in a local newspaper in Ohio. It's from a researcher at the University of Toledo. Here's the interesting part:
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To better understand Borrelia burgdorferi tricks, we have developed a mutant strain which produces a strong green color that we are able to see while this microbe is inside the skin of infected mice by using an advanced microscopy technique. By this method we can see what this bacterium is doing inside its natural environment and how it evades the immune system.
What have we learned? We know that the immune cells rapidly recognize the bacteria and start to eat them. However, within one day the immune cells no longer recognize the bacteria and just quit chasing them: It is as if they have turned invisible to the immune cells.
We also know that the immune cells also quickly produce a protein called interlukin-10 (IL-10) that is normally only produced after a microbe has been cleared from the body. This IL-10 notifies the immune cells to stop responding since their job is complete.
Putting these facts together, we realized that Borrelia burgdorferi are playing another trick on our immune cells by causing them to believe that their job is complete before they clear Borrelia burgdorferi by somehow triggering this early IL-10 production.
I am trying to identify the source of this early IL-10 response and to determine its negative effect on the different types of immune cells in our body. We are looking for new targets for better treatment of Lyme disease. To do this, we need to better understand this mechanism of evading our immune system.
If we can prevent Borrelia burgdorferi from concealing itself, our immune cells will be able to recognize and eliminate this bacteria efficiently, allowing better management of the disease.
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I was pleasantly surprised.
www.toledoblade.com/Medical/2017/06/05/University-of-Toledo-researchers-aim-to-outsmart-Lyme-disease.html