Stem cells treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis)

Lyme Disease (Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by spiral-shaped bacteria of the genus Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.

The main route of transmission is through the bite of an infected Ixodes tick.
However, not every tick carries Borrelia, and not every bite leads to infection.

In the overwhelming majority of cases (virtually 99%), infection occurs precisely through a tick bite, which transmits Borrelia with its saliva during attachment.

There are, however, rare and debated cases where:

1. Infection may occur transplacentally — from an infected mother to the fetus.

2. Laboratory-acquired infections — when handling materials containing Borrelia.

3. Extremely rare and unconfirmed suspicions of household or sexual transmission — these are not medically proven.

 Thus, in almost all cases, the primary cause is a tick bite — though sometimes the person never notices it.

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Why a Tick Bite Can Go Unnoticed

• A tick injects saliva containing anesthetic compounds, making the bite painless.

• It often attaches in hard-to-see areas — armpits, groin, scalp.

• The tick may detach on its own after 1–2 days, leaving no trace.

As a result, many patients do not recall a bite, and the infection later manifests as an “unexplained viral-like illness.”

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Can Lyme Disease Go Unrecognized at First?

Yes — quite often, especially if there is no characteristic rash (erythema migrans).
This is one of the reasons why borreliosis can progress into a chronic or late form.

Early-stage features:

• Incubation period: 3 to 30 days (average 7–10).

• Primary symptom: ring-shaped rash (erythema migrans) at the bite site, present in ~60–80% of patients.

• Other nonspecific symptoms:

  • fatigue, fever, body aches, headache;

  • muscle and joint pain;

  • swollen lymph nodes.

These symptoms may resemble a cold or flu, so the disease often goes unnoticed.

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What Happens If Lyme Disease Is Not Diagnosed Early

If borreliosis is not diagnosed and treated promptly, Borrelia can spread throughout the body and cause:

• Neurological complications (neuroborreliosis): facial nerve palsy, headaches, radiculoneuritis.

• Cardiac complications: myocarditis, conduction blocks.

• Joint complications: chronic Lyme arthritis.

• Dermatological: chronic atrophic acrodermatitis.

These complications can appear weeks, months, or even years after the initial bite.

Following Lyme infection, some patients — even after bacterial clearance — may develop a post-infectious inflammatory syndrome marked by chronic fatigue, arthralgia, neurological, and vascular disturbances.
This is due less to persistent Borrelia than to immune dysregulation and tissue damage.

Here, cellular therapy may play a role — in tissue repair, immune modulation, and regenerative recovery.

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1. Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells (MSC)

Source: umbilical cord, fetal, or embryonic tissue.

Potential actions:

• Reduce chronic inflammation (suppress IL-1β, TNF-α, promote M2 macrophage phenotype).

• Support regeneration of damaged tissues (joints, nervous system).

• Immunoregulation in autoimmune-like responses that may follow borreliosis.

Mechanism:
MSC release exosomes rich in miR-21, miR-146a, and TGF-β, which regulate inflammatory cascades and tissue remodeling.

Studies:
In neuroinflammatory models, MSC reduced microglial activation and restored neuronal conductivity.
No direct clinical trials in borreliosis yet, but the mechanistic rationale is strong.

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2. MSC-Derived Exosomes and Extracellular Vesicles

Advantages: safer and more standardized than live cell use.

Effects:

• Anti-inflammatory via miRNAs and cytokines;

• Endothelial repair and improved microcirculation;

• Regeneration of CNS and joint tissues.

Applications:
In post-infectious and autoimmune models, MSC exosomes reduced IL-6 and TNF-α levels and improved cellular energy metabolism.

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3. Neuronal and Glial Progenitor Cells

Purpose: treatment of neuroborreliosis (damage to peripheral nerves, spinal cord, facial nerve).
Potential: partial restoration of myelin, axonal conduction, and remyelination.

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4. Chondrocytic and Synovial Progenitors

Application: for Lyme arthritis.
Mechanism: stimulation of cartilage repair and reduction of inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, MMP-3).
Studies: MSC-derived exosomes improved cartilage regeneration in post-infectious arthritis models.

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5. Immunoregulatory Cell Cultures (Treg-Expanding Systems)

In post-borreliosis autoimmune syndromes, expansion of regulatory T cells (Treg) or use of their exosomes shows promise in reducing immune hyperactivation and restoring tolerance.

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6. Natural Killer (NK) Cells

NK cells are powerful effectors of innate immunity capable of destroying infected and malignant cells.

In Borrelia burgdorferi infection, the innate immune system is strongly activated.
During early infection, NK cells respond first — producing IFN-γ and TNF-α — helping activate macrophages and T cells.

However, in chronic or persistent borreliosis, studies show:

• NK-cell exhaustion (reduction in CD56bright subset);

• Decreased cytotoxic activity (lower perforin and granzyme B levels);

• Immune dysregulation, leading to chronic inflammation and partial immune evasion by the bacteria.

Restoring or modulating NK-cell activity may enhance clearance of persistent Borrelia and reduce inflammation.

1. Immune Modulation and Cytotoxic Restoration
Activated NK cells (aNK) or NK-cell–derived exosomes can boost the body’s ability to destroy infected cells and clear residual antigens.

2. Control of Chronic Inflammation
NK cells can suppress excessive T-cell and macrophage activation, shifting inflammation toward a regulated state.

3. Potential Targeting of Hidden Infection Reservoirs
Theoretically, NK cells activated with IL-2 or IL-15 can penetrate tissues (e.g., CNS in neuroborreliosis) and assist in clearing residual bacterial antigens.

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Data on NK-Cell Alterations in Chronic Lyme Disease

Studies indicate functional exhaustion of NK-cell populations in 70–80% of chronic Lyme patients, often reflected by a decrease in CD57⁺ NK subsets.

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Individualized Cell Therapy Selection

The selection of cell therapy type, cell source, and dosage is always individualized.
The optimal therapeutic strategy — including the cell source (e.g., mesenchymal stem cells, renal tubular epithelial cells, NK cells, or extracellular vesicles), route of administration, and dosing regimen — is tailored to the patient’s clinical status, disease stage, immune profile, and comorbidities. Discover more about stem cells therapy of Lyme disease :https://mediland.clinic/2024/10/31/how-to-cure-lyme-disease-complications/

Personalized selection ensures a higher level of safety, precise immune modulation, and improved therapeutic outcomes, as both response and tolerance to cell-based treatment can vary significantly among individuals.