Kephera - Diagnostic Testing Tools for Lyme Disease
Kephera is developing a new test for Lyme disease, supported by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Lyme disease has become the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., with over 300,000 cases per year estimated by epidemiologists. It is a risk throughout large parts of the U.S., northern Europe and Asia. Lyme disease presents a diagnostic challenge due to the overlap in symptoms with other disease conditions. We are collaborating with public health agencies and medical centers that treat Lyme patients to develop a new test based on innovative technology that could improve the accuracy of diagnosis of Lyme disease.
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What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is caused by infection with the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferior one of its close relatives, which are transmitted by deer ticks. The bacteria initially spread through the skin, producing the characteristic bull’s eye rash in many patients, and often a flu-like illness. If untreated, the bacteria can disseminate within the body, causing neurological, arthritic, cardiac or other serious and debilitating symptoms. If detected early, antibiotic treatment can be highly effective. However, as the disease progresses, treatment can become more challenging.
How Does it Spread?
Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks, which inhabit grassy and woodland areas where deer and mice, their natural hosts, live. Humans are accidental victims. The pinhead-sized deer tick may not be seen or felt, and many people are unaware that they have been infected until symptoms appear.
How is it Diagnosed?
The circular bull’s eye rash is the hallmark of a Lyme disease infection in its early stages. But the rash is not always seen, and the symptoms that appear later are more non-specific and may resemble other disease conditions. To diagnose such cases, current practice calls for a two-step testing protocol. Patients are tested for antibodies to the Lyme spirochete by a screening test, and results confirmed by immunoblot, a second, more specific test. This approach has been recommended since 1995. However, it has been shown to be relatively insensitive in early stages of Lyme disease, and relies on immunoblot which is a subjective, labor-intensive method of limited availability. Accordingly, there is a growing need for more sensitive and accessible testing methods for Lyme disease. Kephera aims to provide a solution to this need through the new test under development.
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