The novel antibiotic medication hygromycin A may be effective at preventing chronic Lyme disease, according to a report from Northeastern Global News. Experts explained that up to one-third of patients treated for Lyme disease may face months or years of ongoing symptoms—including fatigue, fevers, chills, sweats, muscle and joint pain, arthritis, and cognitive difficulties. However, after testing hygromycin A in mouse models, researchers found that the medication was safe and effective at preventing chronic disease. Whereas standard medications for Lyme disease such as doxycycline and amoxicillin attack a wide range of bacteria—and could unintentionally encourage persistent chronic disease as a result of the decimated microbiome—hygromycin A works by selectively targeting the Lyme disease–causing spirochetes bacteria and shows promise at leaving the patients’ microbiome intact. The researchers plan to launch human trials of hygromycin A as early as 2024.
July 11, 2023