Lyme disease, a common vector-borne infectious disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is a growing public health concern in many parts of the United States and worldwide.1 A patient left untreated or treatment not completely effective can have long-term effects that range from joint inflammation to brain and nerve damage, or even cause Lyme carditis, which interferes with electrical signals that allow the heart to beat properly. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanometer-sized, spherical, lipid-bilayer-enclosed structures shed from Gram-negative bacteria’s outer membrane.² Their composition can differ from one to another based on the bacteria that they are derived from; however, OMVs generally contain various cellular components such as proteins, lipids, and DNA from the bacterial cell, especially immunostimulatory proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), all of which can stimulate an immune response from the infected host. Since the composition of OMVs is similar to that of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, they mimic bacteria in the way they interact with host cells. OspA is an outer surface protein produced by Bb bacteria in abundance.³ Research indicates Bb surface antigen OspA shows promise in eliciting a functional antibody response, which will allow for a pathogen-specific immune response.My senior thesis research project will involve recombinant DNA technology to synthesize OspA for use in the development of a new oral Lyme disease vaccine platform. OspA will be expressed on the surface of OMVs using ClyA to anchor it into the membrane.
References
Lyme Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 19 Jan. 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html
Curley, Stephanie M, and David Putnam. “Biological Nanoparticles in Vaccine Development.” Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology vol. 10 867119. 23 Mar. 2022, doi:10.3389/fbioe.2022.867119
Wressnigg, Nina et al. “A Novel multivalent OspA vaccine against Lyme borreliosis is safe and immunogenic in an adult population previously infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.” Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI vol. 21,11 (2014): 1490-9. doi:10.1128/CVI.00406-14