The Wilke Lyme Disease Project is a three-year study that will leverage the tools and technologies of systems biology to understand the fundamentals of Lyme disease, identify biomarkers, and gain insights about the genomics and proteomics of the infecting Borrelia organism. This project was made possible through the award of $2.13 million in transformational gifts to the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington, from Jeff and Liesl Wilke, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, and the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.
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Act Now! 30-day Public Comment Period on Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) are jointly developing a systematic review and guideline on treatment of Lyme disease.
The 30-day open Public Comment period on the Lyme Disease Guideline Project Plan started March 8 through April 9.During the Public Comment period, anyone may comment on any aspect of the Plan, including the methodology and development process utilized as well as adherence to the IOM standards. Please see here for more details.
Tick Encounter–Learning Through Experience
GUEST BLOG: The following story about a recent tick encounter was shared by George Stratman, Principal of the Marin County Outdoor School at Walker Creek Ranch in Petaluma, CA.
As part of Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s educational outreach, staff visit and work with school teachers, camp counselors, and administrators throughout the Bay Area, providing instructional materials and tools and support for program development.
For more information about our outreach activities or to learn more about how we can partner with your organization, contact Jo@bayarealyme.org.
Every week, a new group of approximately 180-200 fifth- or sixth-grade students arrives at Walker Creek Ranch for a week of what is most commonly known as “outdoor education” – a highlight of the fifth and sixth-grade years for many students and their teachers. Walker Creek Ranch, Marin County’s Outdoor School, is in a stunning setting, surrounded by hills rolling gently out toward the Pacific Ocean, and boasting woodlands, ponds, and an abundance of wildlife. The school serves over 5,000 California school children each year with a dedicated team of naturalists, teachers, and support staff, all of whom put the health and safety of our student visitors as the top priority.
Prompt & Proper Tick Removal Key to Preventing Lyme Disease
How long does it take for a tick bite to cause infection? If I remove the tick within 24 hours, am I safe? What about 72 hours? What if I just found the tick but don’t know when it first attached? These questions and many more come up all the time, particularly here in California where tick and Lyme disease awareness are just beginning to grow.
Standard protocol has been to consider the risk quite low if the tick is removed within a 24-72 hour window. However, in this study by the California Lyme Disease Association and the Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District, the authors point out the importance of early and proper removal of any and all ticks. Bacterial transmission has occurred in as little as 6 hours.
Common Allergy Medication May Be Effective In Starving and Killing the Bacteria That Causes Lyme Disease
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Tara DiMilia, 908-947-0500, tara.dimilia@TMstrat.com
Common Allergy Medication May Be Effective In Starving and Killing the Bacteria That Causes Lyme Disease According to New Study
Study Offers Insights Into Metabolic Activity of Borrelia burgdorferi and May Lead to First Targeted Therapy for Lyme Disease
Portola Valley, CA — A new study funded by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation and conducted by Stanford School of Medicine researchers shows that loratadine, which is a common antihistamine frequently taken to treat allergy symptoms, may be able to help kill Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria associated with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating condition with 300,000 new cases in the US each year. The study was published in the Open Access publication Drug Design, Development and Therapy.
Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces Scientific Advisory Board Appointments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Tara DiMilia, 908-947-0500, tara.dimilia@TMstrat.com
Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces Scientific Advisory Board Appointments
National Organization Selects Key Researchers and Clinicians to Help Move Forward the Mission of Making Lyme Disease Easy to Diagnose and Simple to Cure
Portola Valley, CA — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, the leading national nonprofit funder of innovative Lyme disease research, today announced the Bay Area Lyme Foundation Scientific Advisory Board members who will aid the organization in achieving the mission of making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure. Consisting of some of the country’s leading Lyme researchers, the board was specifically developed to include researchers and clinicians from across the US who play a critical role in obtaining a better understanding of Lyme disease in the lab and in clinical practice. Lyme disease is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the US, a potentially debilitating condition that impacts 300,000 Americans each year.
Sasquatch Racing Trail Series Partners with Bay Area Lyme Foundation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Tara DiMilia, 908-947-0500, tara.dimilia@TMstrat.com
Sasquatch Racing Trail Series Partners with Bay Area Lyme Foundation
San Francisco, CA – Leading Bay Area trail racing series, Sasquatch Racing, is proud to announce the Bay Area Lyme (BAL) Foundation as a presenting sponsor for their 2015 racing season. The Bay Area Lyme Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure.
Interview with Emerging Leader Award Recipient Jerome Bouquet
“Lyme is a debilitating illness for which diagnosis is critical for cure.” –Dr. Jerome Bouquet
Jerome Bouquet, PhD, was recognized in May 2014 as an Emerging Leader in the field of Lyme research. This award recognizes creative ingenuity and novel approaches for the development of better diagnostics and treatment for Lyme disease. The award also carries a $100,000 project grant to fund a new research initiative. Here, Dr. Bouquet talks about his work in the field and his funded project, “Development of a Host Biomarker Assay for the Diagnosis of Acute and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease.”
Q: Earlier this year, you were recognized by Bay Area Lyme Foundation as one of the Emerging Leaders in the field of Lyme disease research. Tell us about your project, what do you hope to accomplish?
A:The project emerged as a result of (1) the lack of sensitive diagnostics for Lyme disease; and (2) the expertise of our laboratory in next generation sequencing. We are developing the unbiased detection of a large number of pathogens. But Lyme disease is trickier, because Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for the disease, is only transiently present in the blood at low titer. So instead of looking for the pathogen, we are examining the human host at a cellular level. How do immune cells respond to the infection and how can we decode and measure their response? That’s what transcriptome profiling is.
2014: A Year in Review
It is that time of year when we reflect and take stock of all that’s happened over the past 12 months – the highs and the highlights and what it portends for the year ahead. As we quickly approach the close of 2014, we are proud of the progress that has been made and grateful to all those who helped create greater awareness, understanding, and discovery around Lyme disease, its agents, and its progression. It has been a year of collaboration and innovation across the research field with promising developments for new treatments and diagnostics
Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces $1.2 Million in 2014 Grants Awarded
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Tara DiMilia, 908-947-0500, tara.dimilia@TMstrat.com
Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces $1.2 Million in 2014 Grants Awarded to Researchers throughout the United States
Portola Valley, CA — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, the leading nonprofit funder of innovative Lyme disease research in the US, today announced the recipients of the 2014 grant cycle to fund research related to Lyme disease, which impacts 300,000 Americans each year. The organization awarded a total of $1.2 million to nine researchers across the US focused on making Lyme disease simple to diagnose and easy to cure. Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s grant cycle runs throughout the year and involves researchers from most regions of the United States. These researchers are working on projects to develop a better understanding of the disease and substantially improve its diagnosis and treatment.