Borrelia burgdorferi peptidoglycan as a diagnostic and target for therapeutic intervention of Lyme disease-related pathologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535481-B2
Application number	US-202117341201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2021
Priority date	Dec 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of diagnosing Lyme disease in a subject comprising measuring the level of B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan or the level of an antibody that specifically binds to B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan (“anti-peptidoglycan agent”). The present disclosure also relates to a method of treating a Lyme disease in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject an antagonist against B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan (e.g., an anti-peptidoglycan antibody or a peptidoglycan-specific hydrolase). Antagonists (e.g., anti-peptidoglycan antibodies) suitable for the present methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of diagnosing Lyme disease arthritis in a subject in need thereof comprising:
(i) contacting, with a synovial fluid sample of the subject, an innate immunity protein that binds to Borrelia burgdorferi peptidoglycan, wherein the innate immunity protein is NOD2; (ii) detecting binding between NOD2 and peptidoglycan; and (iii) measuring the level of peptidoglycan in the sample based at least upon the amount of binding detected between NOD2 and peptidoglycan.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synovial fluid sample of the subject has a greater level of peptidoglycan compared to a reference control sample.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the level of peptidoglycan in the synovial fluid sample of the subject is greater than at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, at least about 100%, at least about 150%, at least about 200%, at least about 300% or more compared to a corresponding level in the reference sample.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contacting, detecting and measuring are performed in vitro.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating the subject with one or more therapeutic agents, wherein treating occurs after diagnosing.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more therapeutic agents comprises a therapeutically effective amount of an antibiotic.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the antibiotic comprises doxycycline, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, or combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contacting is performed within about 3 weeks after suspected infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject in need thereof has been previously diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Assignees

• Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc

Inventors

• Jutras Brandon L
• Jacobs-Wagner Christine

Classifications

• G01N2800/26

  Infectious diseases, e.g. generalised sepsis · CPC title

• G01N2400/02

  involving antibodies to sugar part of glycoproteins · CPC title

• G01N2333/195

  from bacteria · CPC title

• G01N33/686

  Anti-idiotype · CPC title

• C07K16/1203

  Gram-negative bacteria · CPC title