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Lyme disease affects more than 475,000 people annually in the United States, triggered by near-painless blacklegged tick bites after ticks feed on infected mammals or birds, according to data.
Targeting Bacterial Nutrient Uptake at UCF
A research team at the University of Central Florida is working to halt the bacteria that causes Lyme disease by targeting its ability to consume nutrients, according to an August announcement. Led by Mollie Jewett, professor and head of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Research Division at UCF’s College of Medicine, the project aims to starve Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria before the infection spreads throughout the human body.
The project is supported by a renewed five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, which includes $513,314 received for ongoing studies. Jewett and her colleagues have spent more than a decade investigating how B. burgdorferi triggers Lyme disease, recently narrowing their focus on riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, which the bacteria salvages from its host.
“One of these three genes we found is important to the ability of the bacteria to consume riboflavin,” Jewett said, according to UCF research announcements. “We know that riboflavin is a precursor for other cellular activities that are important to the metabolism of the bacteria. Essentially, we want to target this gene and see if we can starve the bacteria.”
Understanding the Metabolic Weakness of Borrelia burgdorferi
Unlike many other pathogens, Borrelia burgdorferi cannot synthesize its own nutrients. Doctoral student Anna Schulz, who led recent experiments examining how the bacteria uses riboflavin for energy production, noted the unique nature of the organism. According to Schulz, studying the distinct biological pathways of the bacteria keeps researchers engaged because so much about its survival mechanism remains unmapped.
If successful, therapies that block nutrient uptake could specifically target B. burgdorferi without harming beneficial human bacteria or contributing to the broader crisis of antibiotic resistance. Conventional antibiotics often act like a broad sweep, affecting both harmful and helpful microbiome populations, whereas metabolic targeting aims for precision.
Clinical Symptoms and Persistent Complications
Initial symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, chills, headache, and fatigue. Because these signs often resemble viral infections or the seasonal flu, diagnosis is frequently delayed.
Even after treatment with standard medicine, patients can experience long-term complications, including nervous system issues and severe arthritic pain. Undergraduate researcher Grace Easterling joined the UCF lab after experiencing significant joint pain due to late-diagnosed Lyme disease. Easterling stated that her prolonged struggle to secure a proper diagnosis drives her commitment to finding new treatments and understanding the underlying bacteria.
Future Directions in Precision Anti-Infective Therapies
While the research represents a promising shift in infectious disease strategy, significant work remains. The UCF team must map the exact riboflavin consumption pathways and develop viable targeted therapies before clinical applications can be tested in humans. By focusing on biochemical dependencies rather than brute-force destruction, researchers hope to establish a new paradigm for treating stubborn bacterial infections.