Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Another Reason to Avoid Lab-Grown Beef: AGS

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/lab-grown-beef-may-pose-risk-alpha-gal-syndrome

Lab-Grown Beef May Pose Risk for Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Elena Riboldi

March 10, 2026

Although cultured meat, also known as synthetic meat, has not yet reached Italian dinner tables, it has already sparked intense debate. Some view it as a sustainable and ethically acceptable alternative to conventional meat, whereas others question its taste and compatibility with culinary traditions.

While regulators and consumers await the introduction of cultured meat into the daily diet, safety remains a central concern. A recent study from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, found that cultured meat contains fewer traditional protein allergens; however, it could paradoxically trigger stronger immune reactions in individuals with existing meat allergies. Researchers have addressed growing consumer curiosity about the health impacts of cultivated meat as a new food product approaches commercialization.

According to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, cultivated meat is produced from animal muscle cells under controlled conditions, and it yields different amounts of proteins than traditional meat.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

The study found the possibility of an increased risk for those with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS)

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Category:

Activism, Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, diet and nutrition, research

Scientists Issue Warning Over Rise to Ticks Carrying Multiple Diseases

https://www.newsweek.com/us-northeast-warned-rise-multiple-disease-bearing-ticks

Scientists Issue Warning Over Rise of Ticks Carrying Multiple Diseases

Mar 12, 2026

By 

Ticks capable of carrying and transmitting more than one potentially fatal disease at the same time are becoming increasingly common in the northeastern U.S., according to a new long-term analysis that raises fresh public health concerns for the region.

The research found that a growing share of blacklegged ticks—also known as deer ticks—are infected with multiple disease-causing pathogens. The study was led by Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies disease ecologist Shannon LaDeau and conducted in partnership with the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases at Upstate Medical University.

The findings come from nearly a decade of tick surveillance and point to a more complex and potentially dangerous tick-borne disease landscape, particularly because different infections require different treatments.

“Healthcare workers should be on the lookout for rising co-infection risks,” LaDeau said in a statement. “And for people spending time outdoors in the Northeast, as a general rule, if the ground is not freezing, it’s a good idea to take precautions to avoid tick bites. Prevention is key.”  (See link for article)

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Findings:

  • 1 in10 nymphs tested positive for at least two pathogens: Borrelia burgdorferi (19.3%) and Babesia microti (21%) were the most common followed by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (5.8%) and Borrelia miyamotoi (2%)
  • by the end of the study period 11% of sampled ticks had coinfections
  • coinfection rate has been increasing over time
  • 38% of nymphs were capable of transmitting at least one disease to humans

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Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks

NIH Scientists Deliberately Infect Mammals With Deadly Pandemic H5N1 in Montana – 66% Death Rate

https://jonfleetwood.substack.com/p/nih-scientists-deliberately-infect?publication

NIH Scientists Deliberately Infect Mammals With Deadly Pandemic H5N1 Bird Flu in Montana—66% Death Rate: Journal ‘Nature Communications’

Taxpayer-funded Rocky Mountain lab study cause severe respiratory disease and high mortality in mammals.
Jon Fleetwood
Mar 13, 2026

U.S. government scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health claim they have deliberately infected mammals with contemporary H5N1 bird flu viruses—experiments that produced severe respiratory disease and high death rates among the animals, according to a newly published study in Nature Communications.

The research was funded through the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)—a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—meaning the project was conducted using U.S. federal government funding inside government laboratories.

The experiments were carried out by NIAID scientists at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, a U.S. government high-containment bioresearch facility.

U.S. government researchers deliberately infected mammals with one of the world’s most feared pandemic pathogens.

NIAID is led by Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, while the NIH is led by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.  (See link for article)

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Category:

Activism, research, Viruses

Antibodies to Bb & Bartonella in Serum and Synovial Fluid in Those With Rheumatic Diseases & Synovectomy for Lyme Arthritis

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10986562/

. 2024 Mar 14;12(4):e01653-23. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01653-23

Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and Bartonella  species in serum and synovial fluid from people with rheumatic diseases

 1,✉,  1,  2,  3,  3,  3,  4,✉
Editor: Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska5
PMCID: PMC10986562  PMID: 38483477
ABSTRACT

Vector-borne infections may underlie some rheumatic diseases, particularly in people with joint effusions. This study aimed to compare serum and synovial fluid antibodies to B. burgdorferi and Bartonella spp. in patients with rheumatic diseases. This observational, cross-sectional study examined paired synovial fluid and serum specimens collected from 110 patients with joint effusion between October 2017 and January 2022. Testing for antibodies to B. burgdorferi (using CDC criteria) and Bartonella spp. via two indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays was performed as part of routine patient care at the Institute for Specialized Medicine (San Diego, CA, USA). There were 30 participants (27%) with positive two-tier B. burgdorferi serology and 26 participants (24%) with IFA seroreactivity (≥1:256) to B. henselae and/or B. quintana. Both B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG were detected more frequently in synovial fluid than serum: 27% of patients were either IgM or IgG positive in synovial fluid, compared to 15.5% in serum (P = 0.048). Conversely, B. henselae and B. quintana antibodies were detected more frequently in serum than synovial fluid; overall only 2% of patients had positive IFA titers in synovial fluid, compared to 24% who had positive IFA titers in serum (P < 0.001). There were no significant associations between B. burgdorferi or Bartonella spp. seroreactivity with any of the clinical rheumatological diagnoses. This study provides preliminary support for the importance of synovial fluid antibody testing for documenting exposure to B. burgdorferi but not for documenting exposure to Bartonella spp.

https://danielcameronmd.com/what-do-i-do-when-specialists-disagree/

Synovectomy for Lyme Arthritis

She had been ill for nearly two years when synovectomy for Lyme arthritis was recommended.

Her knee remained swollen, painful, and limiting despite treatment for Lyme arthritis. She had completed antibiotic therapy. When the swelling persisted, she was told the infection had been treated and what remained was inflammation.

Surgery was presented as the next step.

What was not discussed was how limited the supporting evidence actually is.

What Synovectomy Does—and Does Not Do

A synovectomy removes inflamed synovial tissue, most commonly from the knee. In some inflammatory arthritides, this can reduce swelling and improve joint function.

In synovectomy for Lyme arthritis, the procedure addresses local joint inflammation only. It does not treat Lyme disease systemically and has not been shown to prevent persistent or recurrent tick-borne infection in other organs.

The Evidence Supporting Synovectomy for Lyme Arthritis

The evidence supporting synovectomy for Lyme arthritis is narrow.

It rests primarily on a small case series published more than three decades ago involving patients with persistent knee effusions after antibiotic therapy. There are no large contemporary trials and no studies demonstrating that synovectomy alters the overall course of Lyme disease or prevents disease persistence outside the joint.

This context should be part of informed consent—but often isn’t.

Symptoms Beyond the Joint

Although the treatment plan focused on her knee, her illness extended beyond a single joint.

She experienced fatigue, cognitive slowing, and generalized symptoms that did not fit neatly into a surgical framework. These symptoms were not addressed in surgical discussions, despite their impact on daily function.

What Happened After Delay

After a period of delay, she was retreated medically.

Her improvement was gradual but meaningful. Over time, systemic symptoms eased and function improved—despite the prolonged course and delayed intervention.

Clinical Experience with Complex Lyme Arthritis Cases

In my practice, I see patients who have been told their joint inflammation is purely post-infectious, even when systemic symptoms suggest a broader process. Synovectomy may help select patients with truly isolated, refractory synovitis. But when symptoms extend beyond the joint, a careful re-evaluation—and, in some cases, medical retreatment—can be more clinically meaningful than focusing solely on tissue removal.

The decision should be based on the whole patient, not just the inflamed joint.

What Was Missing

A complete discussion would have made clear that synovectomy is a procedure aimed at reducing local joint inflammation, not at treating Lyme disease itself. It would have acknowledged that surgery has not been shown to prevent persistent or recurrent tick-borne infection elsewhere in the body, including the nervous system or other organs.

It also would have explained that the evidence supporting synovectomy in Lyme arthritis is limited, based largely on a small, decades-old case series rather than modern comparative trials. Importantly, it would have emphasized that even after prolonged symptoms, other medical options may still be appropriate, particularly when the clinical picture extends beyond a single joint.

Without this context—without an honest discussion of what is known, what is uncertain, and what alternatives remain—patients cannot fully understand their choices. And without that understanding, consent cannot truly be considered informed.

❓ Common Questions Patients Ask About Synovectomy for Lyme Arthritis

Does synovectomy cure Lyme disease?
No. Synovectomy does not cure Lyme disease. It removes inflamed tissue from a joint but does not treat infection elsewhere in the body.

Is there strong scientific evidence supporting synovectomy for Lyme arthritis?
No. The evidence is limited and largely based on a small case series published in the early 1990s. There are no modern randomized trials.

Can synovectomy prevent persistent Lyme infection in other organs?
No studies have shown that synovectomy prevents persistent or recurrent tick-borne infection in the nervous system, heart, or other tissues.

🩺 Clinician Perspective

Most patients with Lyme arthritis improve with antibiotics. A smaller subset develops persistent joint inflammation. In carefully selected cases, synovectomy may reduce localized synovitis.

However, the evidence remains limited, and the procedure has not been shown to alter systemic Lyme disease or prevent persistent infection in other tissues. Ethical care requires that these limits be disclosed as part of informed consent.

Resources
  1. Lochhead RB, et al. Post-infectious Lyme arthritis and immune-mediated synovitis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol.
  2. Schoen RT, et al. Arthroscopic synovectomy in antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1991.
  3. CDC. Signs and Symptoms of Untreated Lyme Disease
  4. Dr. Daniel Cameron: Lyme Science Blog. Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease
  5. Dr. Daniel Cameron: Lyme Science Blog. Lyme Disease Symptoms

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Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research, Treatment

Bartonella and Borrelia-Related Disease Presenting as a Neurological Condition Revealing the Need for Better Diagnostics

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/1/209

Bartonella and Borrelia-Related Disease Presenting as a Neurological Condition Revealing the Need for Better Diagnostics

by Marna E. Ericson1, B. Robert Mozayeni1, Laurie Radovsky2 and Lynne T. Bemis3,*
1T Lab Inc., Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
2Laurie Radovsky, M.D. LLC., St. Paul, MN 55102, USA
3Department of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School Duluth Campus, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010209
Submission received: 21 December 2023 / Revised: 16 January 2024 / Accepted: 18 January 2024 / Published: 19 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bartonella and Bartonellosis: New Advances and Further Challenges)

Abstract

The diagnostic tests available to identify vector-borne pathogens have major limitations. Clinicians must consider an assortment of often diverse symptoms to decide what pathogen or pathogens to suspect and test for. Even then, there are limitations to the currently available indirect detection methods, such as serology, or direct detection methods such as molecular tests with or without culture enrichment. Bartonella spp., which are considered stealth pathogens, are particularly difficult to detect and diagnose. We present a case report of a patient who experienced a spider bite followed by myalgia, lymphadenopathy, and trouble sleeping. She did not test positive for Bartonella spp. through clinically available testing. Her symptoms progressed and she was told she needed a double hip replacement. Prior to the surgery, her blood was submitted for novel molecular testing, where Bartonella spp. was confirmed, and a spirochete was also detected. Additional testing using novel methods over a period of five years found Bartonella henselae and Borrelia burgdorferi in her blood.
This patient’s case is an example of why new diagnostic methods for vector-borne pathogens are urgently needed and why new knowledge of the variable manifestations of Bartonellosis need to be provided to the medical community to inform and heighten their index of suspicion.
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**Comment**
You will recognize Marna Ericson’s name as her son had a severe bartonella infection.  She managed to take advanced imaging techniques on samples and found Bartonella alive and well in tissues surrounding where a PIC line had been removed.  She has teamed up with other researchers investigating Bartonella.  We can be extremely thankful for their work.
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Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research, Treatment