Destruction of spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi round-body propagules (RBs) by the antibiotic Tigecycline
1. �ystein Brorsona, 2. Sverre-Henning Brorsonb, 3. John Scythesc, 4. James MacAllisterd, 5. Andrew Wiere,1 and 6. Lynn Margulisd,2
+ Author Affiliations
1. aDepartment of Microbiology, Sentralsykehuset i Vestfold HF, N-3116 Tonsberg, Norway; 2. bDepartment of Pathology, Rikshospitalet, N-0027 Oslo, Norway; 3. cGlad Day Bookshop, Toronto, ON, Canada M4Y 1Z3; 4. dDepartment of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; and 5. eDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
*
↵1Present address: Department of Biology and Health Sciences, Pace University, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570-2799.
1.
Contributed by Lynn Margulis, July 31, 2009 (sent for review May 4, 2009)
Abstract
Persistence of tissue spirochetes of Borrelia burgdorferi as helices and round bodies (RBs) explains many erythema-Lyme disease symptoms. Spirochete RBs (reproductive propagules also called coccoid bodies, globular bodies, spherical bodies, granules, cysts, L-forms, sphaeroplasts, or vesicles) are induced by environmental conditions unfavorable for growth. Viable, they grow, move and reversibly convert into motile helices. Reversible pleiomorphy was recorded in at least six spirochete genera (>12 species). Penicillin solution is one unfavorable condition that induces RBs. This antibiotic that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis cures neither the second ``Great Imitator'' (Lyme borreliosis) nor the first: syphilis. Molecular-microscopic techniques, in principle, can detect in animals (insects, ticks, and mammals, including patients) helices and RBs of live spirochetes. Genome sequences of B. burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum spirochetes show absence of >75% of genes in comparison with their free-living relatives. Irreversible integration of spirochetes at behavioral, metabolic, gene product and genetic levels into animal tissue has been documented. Irreversible integration of spirochetes may severely impair immunological response such that they persist undetected in tissue. We report in vitro inhibition and destruction of B. burgdorferi (helices, RBs = ``cysts'') by the antibiotic Tigecycline (TG; Wyeth), a glycylcycline protein-synthesis inhibitor (of both 30S and 70S ribosome subunits). Studies of the pleiomorphic life history stages in response to TG of both B. burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum in vivo and in vitro are strongly encouraged.
Author contributions: �.B. designed research; �.B. and S.-H.B. performed research; S.-H.B. and L.M. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; J.S., J.M., A.W., and L.M. analyzed data; L.M. wrote the paper; and J.S., J.M., A.W., and L.M. provided graphics. *
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
posted
Of course the Brorson's rock, but Lynn Margulis (Carl Sagan's ex) is a very impressive scientist...........Wish we had the whole paper.
Posts: 554 | From Naples, Italy | Registered: Jun 2006
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ukcarry
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posted
Dr Luft spoke about the action of tygecycline in his presentation to IDSA [and his work at an earlier stage [ie test tube, before mouse studies] was mentioned towards the end of 'Cure Unknown'.
Posts: 1647 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
This is great news, I'm sure everyone in the community has been hoping a finding like this would come up.
I wish I could shake the hands of everyone of those researchers. And lets hope more research and treatment options are developed from these findings.
Nice to know that the tetracycline family has an even more effective cousin.
METALLlC BLUE, could you fix the names of the authors you posted? Should say: 1. �ystein Brorson (a), 2. Sverre-Henning Brorson (b), 3. John Scythes (c), 4. James MacAllister (d), 5. Andrew Wier (e),(1) and 6. Lynn Margulis (d),(2)
Also the title of this thread should be spelled Tigecycline, instead of Tigercycline.
Sorry for the corrections, I just wanted this hard work to be represented correctly in the community.
posted
Does this drug really live up to the hype? Several people here have been on it with mediocre results.
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METALLlC BLUE
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posted
By itself, probably not, but IV combined with say other potent drugs, like IV Zithromax, oral Plaquenil, Flagyl and other oral therapies and you've got yourself a knock down drag out fight for the Lyme. Just ideas. I'm not sure those combos I listed are compatible, but you get the idea.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
posted
My LLMD doesn't prescribe expensive IV treatments very often because he knows that the doctors who prescribe these are the ones who get harassed by the medical community. Given that Tigecycline cost upwards of $3000 a month, and that insurance companies attack patients and doctors involved in these kind of treatments, its not surprising to see few prescribing this kind of treatment.
That's exactly why we need research like this: to prove that these really are the best treatments. With organizations such as the IDSA claiming lack of evidence as justification to deny this kind of treatment, evidence based research will be our biggest weapon.
It's also why doctors like Burrascano are turning towards research instead of medical practice, so that he and thoes like him can make a wide-reaching, long lasting difference in the war against Lyme and co-infections.
Posts: 121 | From Silver Spring, Maryland | Registered: Oct 2009
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METALLlC BLUE
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posted
Mixxter, there is only one problem. There are hundreds of studies confirming Chronic Lyme Disease exists and that persistent infection has been seen over and over with borrelia burgdorferi in studies, both humans, and animals (Horses, dogs, primates, mice, rats)
The problem is that the "small" group of authors of the IDSA guidelines, combined with the CDC, are permitting -- intentionally -- that this research be suppressed and anyone who attempts to rise up and make the public or medical community aware of it is critized and made out to be a "rogue, quack, etc"
The research is there. Tons of it. The IDSA must be taken down via the law, and that's what we're working on through AG Blumenthal. The new committee will hopefully make fair and ethical decisions and see the data for what it is -- that the IDSA members who are suppressing this research did so because they couldn't profit any other way through grants (Including those from the NIH, and work done with the CDC). The corruption stems from all these relationships.
I've got a listing of over 100 abstracts documenting persistence. If we could make a complete list and "Bold" just the important statements made in the conclusions of these studies, it would take less than 5-10 minutes to read hundreds of studies, while providing the context, credibility and contacts of the authors of the peer reviewed papers. Handing these out to doctors -- walking from office to office, this would make a difference in the way physicians perceive Lyme Disease.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
posted
I never said the problem was lack of evidence for persistence. I know there are hundreds of articles on the behavior of the Lyme spirochete that point to persistence. I couldn't agree with you more.
The kind of evidence that we need is evidence of treatment that works for chronic Lyme. We need more evidence of successful treatment, otherwise insurance and the health care industry will never help us fund our treatment. It is this aspect of research that is lacking. Burrascano said this himself, and this is why he resigned; to aid in the treatment aspect of research, not the research of the bacteria's physiology.
This article is a perfect example of the kind of research that is needed.
Posts: 121 | From Silver Spring, Maryland | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
This may be a stupid question, but what is the meaning of the 5 starred items above the word Footnotes. Just curious as to why doxycycline is listed there?
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by seibertneurolyme: This may be a stupid question, but what is the meaning of the 5 starred items above the word Footnotes. Just curious as to why doxycycline is listed there?
Thoes are the keywords associated with the article on the National Academy of Sciences' website.
Posts: 121 | From Silver Spring, Maryland | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
I did 8 mos of rocephine and changed to Tigecycline after the 8 months.
I had tremendous naseau and stomach problems and could not continue.
The doctor said alot of her patients have similiar problems with this therapy.
I understand that there is a drug you can take in conjuction to help w/ the naseau but i did not know about it at the time. Maybe it would have helped.
I did have a friend who did well on tigecycline and did it for good amount of time.
If you search tigecycline you can see her posts
Posts: 137 | From wethersfield ct | Registered: Mar 2006
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dmc
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posted
yep, it is me!!!
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METALLlC BLUE
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posted
So it causes nausea even via IV?
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
Lymeorsomething
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posted
A scary sentence~~~> "Irreversible integration of spirochetes at behavioral, metabolic, gene product and genetic levels into animal tissue has been documented."
Anyone else feel like Brundle-fly?
Tigecycline here I come...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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Lymeorsomething
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-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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seekhelp
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posted
Hmmmm...I thought Dr. B retired due to health issues and disgust getting investigated by the state boards constantly?
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troutscout
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SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET
-------------------- Now is the time in your life to find the "tiger" within. Let the claws be bared, and Lyme BEWARE!!! www.iowalymedisease.com [/URL] Posts: 5262 | From North East Iowa | Registered: Sep 2002
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springshowers
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posted
Metallic.
You can get nauseaus from IV abx. I had to take zolfran via the IV in order to tolerate IZ zithromax. After about month and getting a different supply mixed with more saline I can now tolerate it.
Here is the categories of this drug.. It is in the Tetracyline family but has its own now sub category. As you can see Doxy and Mino on the list and it uses a similar mechanism.
By the way
Tigecycline is bacteriostatic and is a protein synthesis inhibitor by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit of bacteria and thereby blocking entry of Aminoacyl-tRNA into the A site of the ribosome during prokaryotic translation.[3]
Tigecycline
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treepatrol
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posted
Wonder if this why minocycline worked for me combined with different abx's like biaxin xl,rifampin,tindamax,some others but i cant remember right now hmm?
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