Researchers describe an early detection method for pinpointing molecular signatures of the disease with high accuracy.

Today, Lyme disease is a mounting health concern, with estimates of over 300,000 cases in the US annually. The illness, which produces a constellation of symptoms, has been notoriously tricky to diagnose.

In new research, Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University and his colleagues describe an early detection method for pinpointing molecular signatures of the disease with high accuracy.

Effective treatments for infectious disease usually require early identification of the suspected pathogen or a diagnostic signal of its presence in fluids or tissues, known as a biomarker. This goal, however, has proven elusive in the case of Lyme disease. Existing methods for diagnosis are imprecise and often require days or weeks for test results. Currently, there is no vaccine against the disease.

The new technique, which uses a multi-platform approach to isolate candidate biomarkers for B. burgdorferi, may be applicable to a broad range of infectious diseases. The study uncovers six potential biomarkers that may be used in combination to make an accurate and early identification of Lyme disease.

While the research was conducted in an animal model of the disease and will require final validation in humans, the study results suggest the method may offer a powerful new approach to identifying this enigmatic illness, as well as other diagnostically challenging infectious diseases.

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Materials provided by Arizona State University. Original written by Richard Harth. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.