About this Research Topic
Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, with an estimated 476,000 cases diagnosed and treated annually in the United States and >200,000 cases per year in western Europe. It usually begins with erythema migrans and early disseminated infection mainly causes multiple erythema or neurologic disease. Late manifestations include arthritis, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, and late Lyme neuroborreliosis with encephalitis, myelitis, or encephalomyelitis.
While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to advance the proper scientific and clinical understanding of the disease or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. To date, VLA15 is the only Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development. Given the many outstanding questions raised about the diagnosis, clinical presentation, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support.
The aim of this Research Topic is to draw the attention of researchers, doctors, and the medical society to the problem of Lyme disease. We hope to build a collection to make international cutting-edge research for Lyme disease and potential therapeutic strategies available for the scientific community dealing with the problem of treatment and prevention of Lyme disease.
We welcome original research and review articles outlining new approaches to Lyme disease therapy. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Development of research in persistent Lyme disease
- Analysis and understanding of molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease
- Vaccine development
- Future therapeutic targets of Lyme disease
- RNA sequence analysis between the pathogen and host to understand virulence mechanisms and gene expression
- Antigenic features of Borrelia spp. and their therapeutic potential
While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to advance the proper scientific and clinical understanding of the disease or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. To date, VLA15 is the only Lyme disease vaccine candidate currently in clinical development. Given the many outstanding questions raised about the diagnosis, clinical presentation, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support.
The aim of this Research Topic is to draw the attention of researchers, doctors, and the medical society to the problem of Lyme disease. We hope to build a collection to make international cutting-edge research for Lyme disease and potential therapeutic strategies available for the scientific community dealing with the problem of treatment and prevention of Lyme disease.
We welcome original research and review articles outlining new approaches to Lyme disease therapy. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Development of research in persistent Lyme disease
- Analysis and understanding of molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease
- Vaccine development
- Future therapeutic targets of Lyme disease
- RNA sequence analysis between the pathogen and host to understand virulence mechanisms and gene expression
- Antigenic features of Borrelia spp. and their therapeutic potential
Keywords: Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, therapy, prevention, pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
