Description of Invention:
This patent application describes a 39 kDa protein (P39) that is species-specific and expressed by all North American and European B. burgdorferi isolates. The discovery includes the cloning and expression of the gene for P39 in E. coli and the use of P39 as a diagnostic antigen for the serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. The P39 described in this invention report has been found not only to be species-specific, but reactive only with human Lyme borreliosis sera. This suggests that any patient's serum that is shown to react to P39, irrespective of the patient's clinical picture, can be diagnosed as having or having had Lyme borreliosis.
Inventors:
WJ Simpson (NIAID) TG Schwan (NIAID)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-056-1990/1 --
U.S. Patent 5,470,712 issued 28 Nov 1995
U.S. Patent 5,780,041 issued 14 Jul 1998
For Additional Information Please Contact: Peter A. Soukas J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-4646
Email: soukasp@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
