One of the most frustrating puzzles of Lyme disease is why some
people develop debilitating chronic complications despite
receiving recommended treatment. Now scientists have developed a
new method to explore if these arthritic and neurologic symptoms
result from the body's immune system turning against itself.
Knowing the answer is key to developing better ways to diagnose
Lyme disease, and to treat and possibly prevent its
complications. A report describing this research, led by
scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), appears
in the December issue of Nature Medicine. "This finding is a
major advance for Lyme disease researchers and their patients,"
notes Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). "We now have a
powerful new tool to investigate what role autoimmune mechanisms
play in the development of chronic symptoms associated with Lyme
disease. We also can use this strategy to study other infectious
and immunologic diseases." Adri