Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Host Dr. Tom Moorcroft, DO, joins GLA-funded researcher Dr. Choukri Ben Mamoun and GLA Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Tim Sellati on the Lyme Insider Podcast. Together they unpack the recent GLA-funded study led by Dr. Mamoun, “Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis.”

The conversation navigates key findings, such as the promising outcomes of combination therapy in Babesia treatment and the potential for enduring immunity. They discuss nuances between tick-borne infections and the challenges of translating research into clinical applications, emphasizing the imperative for further research on dosing strategies and therapeutic indexes for Babesia treatment.

You won’t want to miss this conversation, as it highlights the implications for patient care and the evolving landscape of infectious disease management.

Key Takeaways:

• Combination therapy with tafenoquine and atovaquone has shown promising results in the treatment of Babesia infection.
• Immunocompromised mouse models are valuable tools for studying the efficacy of different treatments.
• Understanding the differences between tick-borne infections is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• Further research is needed to determine optimal dosing and the therapeutic index of different drugs for Babesia treatment.
• Recrudescence and treatment failure are important considerations in Babesia treatment.
• Combination therapy can reduce the probability of resistance in parasites.
• Dormant parasites may be responsible for relapse in Babesia infections.
• The terminology used in scientific research may differ from the general public’s understanding.
• Factors like sleep, stress, and nutrition can contribute to immunocompromised states.
• Diagnostic testing for Babesia needs improvement to reduce false negatives and false positives.
• The ultimate goal is to help patients get better by finding the right diagnosis and treatment.
• There is a need for collaboration between clinicians, researchers, and patients to advance the understanding and treatment of tick-borne infections.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Overview 03:00 The Study and Key Findings 06:35 Understanding the Research and Clinical Implications 11:56 The Importance of Animal Models 14:43 Immunocompromised Mouse Models 23:22 Differences Between Tick-borne Infections 26:34 Combination Therapy: Tafenoquine and Atovaquone 32:26 Dosing and Therapeutic Index 36:48 Artemisinin as a Treatment Option 46:20 Recrudescence and Treatment Failure 48:23 Combination Therapy and Resistance 50:24 Dormant Parasites and Relapse 53:18 Terminology and Immunocompromised 56:15 Immune Dysregulation and Cold Exposure 59:14 Diagnostic Testing for Babesia 01:03:22 Improving Diagnostic Testing 01:12:12 The Goal of Helping Patients 01:20:22 Caring and Finding the Truth

Link to the paper we discussed: Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38169… 

For more:

• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/16/babesia-treatment/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2023/10/02/novel-treatment-for-relapsing-lyme-babesia-and-bartonella/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/03/24/kill-babesia-treatment-guide-update/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/04/08/tafenoquine-for-relapsing-babesiosis/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/07/01/relapsing-babesia-treated-successfully-with-tafenoquine/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2024/01/08/tafenoquine-atovaquone-achieves-radical-cure-confers-sterile-immunity-in-experimental-models-of-human-babesiosis/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/07/01/relapsing-babesia-treated-successfully-with-tafenoquine/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2024/02/05/babesia-with-dr-cameron/