posted
A Northwestern University team reports in Science Translational Medicine (published April 23, 2025) that piperacillin, a penicillin-class drug, cured Lyme infection in mice at 100× lower doses than doxycycline, the current standard.
That matters because doxycycline can disrupt the microbiome and still doesn’t help an estimated 10–20% of people and it isn’t approved for young children, who face high tick exposure.
The clarity comes from mechanism: piperacillin appears to target Borrelia’s distinct cell wall synthesis pattern, blocking growth and division with unusual specificity.
The hopeful implication isn’t a guaranteed human replacement yet, but a glimpse of more custom, microbiome-sparing Lyme treatment and even the possibility of a single-dose preventive shot after a known deer tick bite.
If future Lyme care can be tailored to the biology of a specific bacterium rather than carpet-bombing the microbiome how might that reshape what we consider “effective” treatment in infectious disease?
Not used in humans yet, but there is hope!
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 10235 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
Phoiph
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41238
posted
Thanks for posting on piperacillin again, Hiker.
This discovery seems very promising, and I truly hope it continues to be pursued for Lyme. There don't seem to be any updates as of yet:
kgg
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5867
posted
If they hadn't spent so much time spinning the narrative that "Lyme is hard to catch and easy to cure. No such thing as chronic Lyme."
We could have been using this drug. It is an older drug. Piperacillin is considered a well-established, or "older" antibiotic, having been patented in 1974 and approved for medical use in 1981. That means I would have only had Lyme for a decade at that point. (Yes, I am that old)
I think of all of the people who developed C.diff from using harmful to the gut antibiotics.
This gives some hope. Thanks for posting, Hiker!
Posts: 1856 | From Maine | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
Phoiph
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41238
posted
Kgg,
Exactly.
Since piperacillin already has a proven safety profile, why isn't it already being used "off label" on willing participants who can't tolerate traditional antibiotics, or in cases when antibiotics have failed?
So many other higher risk drugs are used for Lyme in this way.
I would think LLMD's would be all over this already, but I can't find any updates.
So frustrating and disappointing how long-suffering Lyme patients are still being sidelined and strung along.
Posts: 2083 | From Earth | Registered: Jul 2013
| IP: Logged |
kgg
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5867
posted
Phoiph, I think that is the value of social media. It has many flaws, but getting the word out about this antibiotic is important.
If LLMDs don't start using it, people with Lyme need to start demanding it.
I confess, I am skeptical of "LLMDs" since my son flunked out of their treatment. If they don't use it and people stay sick, then they still are making $$.
Posts: 1856 | From Maine | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
Phoiph
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41238
posted
kgg,
Your son is not alone! I was also a serial LLMD flunkie. I was deemed a treatment failure every time.
Once I became well on my own with mHBOT, I wrote them all cordial letters explaining the exact method I used in hopes it would help their patients. (I received no replies.)
Posts: 2083 | From Earth | Registered: Jul 2013
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic