courtesy Beisel Lab, NCSUDr. Chase Beisel is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University who was recognized earlier this year with one of Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s prestigious Emerging Leader Awards. This honor is in recognition of and support for his lab‘s novel work exploring CRISPR technology as a potential treatment for Lyme infections.

Dr. Beisel’s work integrates molecular biology, chemical engineering, and mathematical modeling and has been acknowledged with several National Science Foundation (NSF),  National Institute for Health (NIH) and other important awards. His foray into the field of Lyme is a new direction for his lab and ties directly to the Foundation’s aim of attracting some of the brightest and best minds in the country to apply innovative new approaches and methodology to accelerate the development of new diagnostics and treatments for Lyme disease. We are excited about his work and asked him to elaborate further in this recent conversation.

Your work is in the area of Lyme therapeutics, specifically, the current ELA-funded project is utilizing a genome interference technique known as “CRISPR.” Could you give us some more context?

CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, is most widely known as a revolutionary tool for editing DNA sequences. What is less appreciated is that CRISPR is part of a defensive immune system that recognizes invasive foreign DNA. The system creates CRISPR RNAs that seek out the DNA sequences of the invaders. When the CRISPR RNAs find a matching sequence, they instruct the Cas proteins to cut the sequence of invading DNA from the cell. The tool cuts DNA at a sequence of our choice, and we then can guide the repair process to dictate the new sequence. Notably, in bacteria, the DNA cut can’t be repaired easily, making cuts by CRISPR lethal. We were one of the first groups to show that this allowed CRISPR to be used as a targeted antimicrobial — essentially a “smart bomb” for bacteria.

The ELA award will allow my group to explore how CRISPR can be used as an antimicrobial agent against Borrelia, e.g., by introducing specific CRISPR-associated proteins [Cas] that can intercept the bacterial spirochetes and render them inert.

What is novel about your approach / methodology versus other forms of treatment?

Most prescribed antibiotics are broad-spectrum, indiscriminately killing many types of bacteria. This approach is proving to be problematic because of both the growing instances of multi-drug-resistant infections and the negative impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the many beneficial bacteria in and on our bodies. Our CRISPR antimicrobials could overcome these issues because we can program them to only kill selected bacteria, and they would be more effective against multidrug-resistant pathogens.  

CRISPR is an intriguing technology because it is a naturally occurring adaptive defense system — often found in bacteria and other organisms — that we are essentially co-opting. The applications are many but especially interesting for Lyme the Lyme bacteria which have proven to be so resilient.

Are there any downsides to this approach? Would the therapy affect any other parts of the immune system or physical health of the patient during treatment?

We are in the early stages of developing the technology and we are still learning about its benefits and limitations. Currently the big challenges are how to best deliver CRISPR antimicrobials into the bacterial cell. However, we don’t anticipate any negative impacts on a patient such as adverse immune responses. The impact should be much more limited than broad-spectrum treatments.

At what stage would a treatment such as this one be relevant?

The treatment could be implemented at any stage of treatment in which the bacteria are still present — early or late stage. The challenges will be reaching a given infection site and effectively attacking Borrelia as it changes between early-stage and late-stage Lyme. 

What is it about Borrelia? It seems to have amazing adaptive capabilities that seem to make tracking and eradicating it difficult. How similar or different is the Lyme-causing bacteria from other forms of bacteria that you study?

Borrelia is a really compelling test-case for CRISPR antimicrobials because of its resilience and adaptability. We have been working on human pathogens such as E. coli and Shigella that have been effectively treated with our antimicrobials in the laboratory. However, we fully anticipate that Borrelia will pose unique challenges that will require further development on our part. For instance, Borrelia has its genome split across one chromosome and numerous plasmids, any many of these pieces of DNA are dispensable for the bacterium to survive.

Dr. Beisel (right) and Dr. Atul Singh (left) discussing an ongoing experiment with Borrelia. Photo credit: Ryan Leenay.
Dr. Beisel, Laure Woods Emerging Leader Award recipient, (right) and Dr. Atul Singh (left) discussing an ongoing experiment with Borrelia. Photo credit: Ryan Leenay.

How has the Emerging Leader Award aided in your research?

The ELA was the motivation to begin working on Borrelia. Previously, I mostly focused on other types of bacterial pathogens, but the award is allowing me to branch out and develop potential treatments for Lyme.

Interesting. So Lyme disease was not the original focus… Tell us more about your background and how you came to know about Lyme disease and the potential for some novel research in this area.

My academic training is in chemical engineering. I was trained in designing and analyzing large-scale chemical processes. At the same time, I was always interested in applying chemical engineering principles to biology. This interest led me to pursue graduate research in RNA engineering and postdoctoral research on naturally occurring regulatory RNAs. These training experiences eventually led me to CRISPR because it relies on RNA to identify DNA targets. CRISPR has now become a major thrust of my research program, where we have ongoing projects to understand the fundamental biology of CRISPR-Cas systems and to exploit these systems for our own purposes. Developing CRISPR antimicrobials is a major part of these efforts. Lyme originally was not on my radar, but a serendipitous meeting with one of the foundation advisory board members alerted me to the ever-present challenge of Lyme and the need for new therapeutic strategies. This was sufficient motivation to apply for the Emerging Leader Award and begin exploring the use of CRISPR antimicrobials to treat Lyme.

Have there been any surprises in the work so far? Any big milestones you can share?

We started the project a month ago, so we are still ramping up the experiments. However, we have designed our CRISPR antimicrobials and we are developing the delivery approaches to get the antimicrobials into Borrelia. Growing Borrelia has proved to be a challenge, although the postdoc working on the project has an excellent background in culturing hard-to-grow bacteria. We are working to evaluate the lethality the CRISPR antimicrobials against a lab strain of Borrelia. If successful, we can begin exploring delivery vehicles. The work is early stage, although we hope to make substantial progress over the next few years to develop an alternative treatment strategy against this disease.

Knowing what you now know about Lyme disease, what do you think is most important for the general public to understand?

After attending the LymeAid fundraiser and a clinical workshop at Massachusetts General Hospital, I was surprised at how complex of a disease Lyme is and how much better the standard diagnostics could be. Lyme is not a simple, straightforward disease, and much more work needs to be done to improve diagnostics and treatments.

Thinking about the research community, what do you know now that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting your research career? How might you advise some of the young researchers either at your lab or in the field more generally?

Endeavor to find research problems that you find to be the most pressing and the most exciting, and think about problems in the long-term. It’s easy to get focused on a single project, but a long-term perspective helps you lay out the individual efforts that will get you there and justify your work not only for your fledgling students but also funding agencies and the public at large. It’s also ok if your vision changes–you just need something in place. 

I have been truly touched by the stories shared by people afflicted with Lyme disease as well as their friends and family members. These stories gave tremendous motivation for our research–something that can be rare for scientists working on basic research and foundational technologies.

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For more information about the Emerging Leader Award and past recipients, click here.
Photos courtesy of The Beisel Lab, NC State University.

24 Comments on “CRISPR Technology: A New Approach to Eradicating Borrelia

  1. Just shared this with my LL NP. Last week. We were discussing using Dapsone (originally used to treat Leprosy) BC I learned Horowitz was getting a 59% success rate in CLD treatment.

    I had been using Cowden (which I very much still have faith in), but she is considering a more aggressive treatment. We are also looking at MC-bB1 by Beyond Balance (Susan McCamish’s herbal blend).

    But I think CRISPR will be the first line go to for CLD, with Doxy still used in acute cases. I expect it will occur within 10 years. A black market will no doubt develop sooner given both the demand and slowness of conventional channels.

    I found Jill Beyer’s comments to be most interesting. It exemplifies that in certain cases, pharma antibiotics are not the boogeyman of CLD treatment. It suggests that Dapsone should be looked into further. Side effects aside.

    To reiterate, further out, CRISPR is it.

  2. My wife is 58 years old and Lyme has taken her down from a strong, vibrant flight attendant who demonstrated how we should all treat each other, to a shell of herself. She’s in such pain every hour of every day, and gets such limited sleep, I don’t see how she can continue much longer. We’ve found a nature path doctor with experience in Lyme treatments, but not able to figure our her treatment yet. Going again tomorrow for another attempt to customize her treatment…always have hope that something will work for her. If there’s a trial she could participate in, that would be another opportunity for hope.

    1. I hope your wife has recovered by now. Just in case she has not you might try oral Oil of Oregano. Also Oral Neem Leaf. I found a tick imbedded in my inner thigh, gross! I finally got it out! Naturally I got a rash. I started taking my Oil of Oregano faithfully and added Neem leaf just incase. I have been okay. I do replenish my probiotics daily, since I don’t know if they would be affected adversely. But it seems to have balanced out, and I seem to do well. I hope all goes well for your wife. Jo

    2. I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease and two co-infections in June of 2009, I was actually bit in June 2008 @ Prineville Reservoir Resort in Oregon. I had flu like symptoms, bullseye rash, was very weak, with extreme aches and pains and severe fatigue. My primary Dr dismissed my symptoms as the flu and my bullseye rash as a bruise. After having to return to my physician 3 times in 2 weeks he continued to fail to recognize my symptoms as Lyme disease even though I had every symptom listed and highlighted on a mayo clinic printout sheet that I showed him. He refused to treat me because “we don’t have Lyme in OR, it’s an east coast thing.” After a year of extreme debilitating symptoms, digestive issues, balance issues, stuttering, brain fog – memory loss and having to endure so many procedures, testing and even had my gall bladder removed hoping to alleviate my severe stomach pain. My new Primary Dr. and a Lyme Literate Holistic Dr finally discovered what was taking me down so quickly, almost a year to the day after I was bit. I then had to have 5 different PICC Lines for IV antibiotic treatments for 21 months, and so many pills and shots for over a decade. I had to go to speech therapists, physical therapist, dietary specialist, you name it, I’ve been there in the past 15 years. I had a spinal tap done in 2014 and I just had a body scan done in Dec of 2023 and those Lyme spirochete pathogens are still in my body. My best advice to anyone with Lyme or a suspicion of a tick-borne illness is to go to a Lyme Literate physician Immediately. Although Doctors are more educated now then 2008 you still run the risk of being treated like a headcase or told that your symptoms are psychosomatic. It should be a crime that Lyme disease is dismissed, and patients spend decades suffering daily all because of medical ignorance, medical malpractice and medical negligence. By the time you are chronically ill and disabled, it’s too late to hold the doctor accountable because of the statute of limitations of two years. Congress started a Lyme bill in 2015 but it stalled and never went anywhere and OR Govenor created a Proclamation for May being Lyme and Tick Awareness Month in 2015, 2016 and 2017 warning the public of how Deadly and debilitating the diseases ticks carry can be if not diagnosed and treated immediately. If any doctor tells you that Lyme disease isn’t real or isn’t in your state RUN!!! There are no magic nets keeping these blood sucking hitchhikers at bay, they come in on our wildlife and spread across our entire Nation. Please educate yourself and spread the word because Lyme Disease and Tick Awareness Education Can Save Lives!

  3. Our 26-year-old daughter was bitten by a nymph last Sept. Fortunately, we were referred to a Dr. in Denver who diagnosed Lyme in March. She has been treated with herbs, homeopathic, and antibiotics. The pain has been so severe that she has wanted to give up many times. I hope this treatment will be ready soon and she would love to be among those used to test. Thank you

    1. I had two separate Lyme cases and survived both in two different treatment schedules: two months of double Doxy by an infectious disease doctor that did cure me and a 2-year rotation of different antibiotics by a Lyme Literate doctor that cured me. My advice to your daughter? Don’t give up! Research a good infectious disease doctor or Lyme Literate doctor, makes all the difference. Don’t take no for an answer! My infectious disease doctor went to Boston for that conference and did a 180-degree turn to treat patients better. Asked for my forgiveness which I gave him (for that second case). Been asked to write a book. Don’t lose hope, sweetheart! I know how awful it is and I am perfect now. Times are changing!

    2. Teresa, please consider taking your daughter to a Lyme Literate Doctor and Nurse Practitioner in your state. Research their qualifications first (some are good, some not). I was cured of Lyme the second time by these dedicated people. You can contact the International Lyme Association by calling them for the name of a doctor in your state. Let me know, I care.

  4. My 53-year-old son contracted Lyme ten years ago. He, like others, has gone through many tests and treatments with unsuccessful results. He would also like to be in any future clinical trials concerning Lyme. The fact that you are researching CRISPR or treatment of Lyme, gives us all more hope then we’ve seen so far. Thank you, Dick Paschall

  5. My Dr says he was working on original trials for Lyme then said that I’m the worse case he’s seen. I went from vibrant athlete to as-if-eighty in a three month period. I’ve kept detailed records in the 10+ year progression of Variant s/s… but my health care career and prime source of joy(nature) have been denied me via Lyme. Furthermore, my son may have just contacted it. Please hurry & add us to your list of subjects

  6. Thank you please don’t give up we need you, Lynn is a living he’ll.I’m 50 yrs old in bed on Christmas day.I also would volunteer for you.

  7. Please keep me updated on the progress of your research and treatment tool for Lyme Disease and Babesia. I’ve been on oral antibiotics, IV rocephin. and a heavy regimen of natural supplements for the last two years. I’m on a gluten-free and sugar-free diet. My neurologist has me doing Plasmapheresis two wks per month along with IVIG for the limbic encephalitis and Stiff Person syndrome that it has caused. I’ve done that for four months. We’re going to do this 3-4 more months, and then after this, will try stem cell therapy in Panama City, Panama, for the autoimmune diseases arising from the Lyme. We have literally traveled all over the nation in our battle with this dreaded disease. I’d absolutely love to be a test subject, as we are running out of options. Thank you.

  8. I’m 57, and disabled by Lyme. It took my 20+-year law enforcement career away. The cognitive dysfunctions are so severe, I can’t “re-invent” my life either. I would be happy to be a test subject????

  9. Our son contracted Lyme from a tick bite on the back of his head when he was about 4 years old. That would be around 1990. We live in Kansas and Lyme wasn’t on the radar. We took him to the pediatrician one morning with a swollen knee resulting from an unknown cause. No one considered Lyme. Fifteen years later, after experiencing years attention issues and anxiety, he was diagnosed with Lyme and co-infections at age 19. He is now 31 and disabled with severe brain fog and anxiety even after two years of IV antibiotics twice daily, five days a week. Good luck and keep us in mind!

  10. I was bitten two years ago this summer and have had almost every antibiotic out there, becoming more and more debilitated. Please let us all know your advancements and when we may all find relief, as right now we are dealing with the “snake oil sales” of Lyme. Thanks for any assistance rendered.

  11. The first time I was bitten I was cured by antibiotic treatment, although treatment was delayed because my doctor didn’t recognize the symptoms. The following summer, I was bitten again, nymph deer tick, identified by infectious disease doctor. Although treated right away, I am symptomatic, still on antibiotic by a Lyme Literate NP. Infectious Disease doc admitted that I must stay on antibiotics. Early studies show if you don’t, you may develop ALS or MS. My husband, a chemical engineer believes Crispr is the answer. Please hurry.

    1. Update on my condition!!! I was cured…again! It took two years of daily antibiotics that were rotated by a Lyme Literate Doctor and expert nurse practitioner. My infectious disease doctor is so proud of me! He said if I hadn’t followed through with antibiotics, I would have gotten a diagnosis of MS or ALS. Please know I understand the pain, the anguish, the repeated disappointment of failed attempts. But please keep trying, you might be healed. It is complicated but there is hope! My infectious disease doctor has done a 180-degree turn and healed my next door neighbor. Change is happening. Warn others of Lyme. Wear two layers. Praying for you!

  12. I was bit in January of this year and started tx in march. 4 abx at a time including a picc line for 4 weeks and I’m still sick. I will volunteer as well when you reach clinical status.

    1. Thank you for your interest and our sincere best wishes for your recovery.

  13. I’m 67 and l have Lyme disease. I tested positive in 2002. I have been up and down, can not shake it, l would try anything that might help. I will gladly volunteer for research.

  14. Hope it becomes available soon, because my girl-friend has been suffering already over 6 years, so far, on Lyme disease without any success of all known antibiotics treatments. She would be even willing to participate in any clinical study…just to get a chance to cure.

  15. This is definitely the approach with the most promise. It could and should be applied to Babesia and Bartonella as well.

  16. Great news. I got bit and it was three years before any symptoms showed and then I could hardly walk, or raise my arms and was exhausted all the time. Two years of antibiotics and no sugar and probiotics and finally feeling better. Lyme disease really needs a lot more study and research.

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