Preface from: Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis
Publisher: Caister Academic Press
Editor: D. Scott Samuels and Justin D. Radolf
Publication date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-904455-58-5
Since the discovery of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete, borreliology has evolved from a microbiological curiosity to a major branch of bacterial pathogenesis research. The rapid expansion of our field has been fueled by the continual emergence ("metamorphosis" might be a better word) of Lyme disease as a global public health problem; indeed, few infectious diseases have garnered more sustained attention from the scientific and, notably, the lay media. The Federal government and numerous private foundations have marshaled considerable resources to combat this illness on both the basic scientific and clinical fronts. These monies have not been wasted: our knowledge of the disease and its causative agent has grown exponentially, a trend that continues despite constrained NIH budgets and dwindling paylines. This same period has also witnessed a resurgence of interest and, consequently, scientific advancement in relapsing fever, the other major human disease caused by borrelia species, the agents of which have long been known for their uncanny ability to alter their surface antigen profile.
We, the editors, believe that the field of borreliology was not just ripe for, but also in great need of, the comprehensive treatment that this book represents. Although other books have been written about Lyme disease, their focus generally has been clinical or epidemiological; this is the first volume, to our knowledge, with a nearly encyclopedic coverage of the microbiological, immunological, genetic, ecological, and epizootic facets of pathogenic borrelia. Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis coalesces and illuminates more than 25 years of tenacious study of the spirochetes that cause Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Our goal was to integrate the diverse aspects of our field toward a unified view of how these vector-borne, enzootic diseases have developed into such serious threats to humans. We are gratified that this project was embraced by numerous experts, some of whom participated in the dramatic events surrounding the discovery of the Lyme disease spirochete, one of the all-time great stories of medical sleuthing.
The field of Lyme disease research has been under assault from self-proclaimed "Lyme literati" that have used misinterpretations, misrepresentations, and bold fabrications to promote their ill-conceived and self-serving agenda regarding diagnosis and treatment. This book is intended to dispel accusations that scientists have conspired with their clinical colleagues to conceal from public view the "real truths" about Lyme disease and its etiologic agent. In so doing, we endeavor to emphasize that well controlled, carefully executed, and, above all, stringently peer-reviewed research is the only path to unraveling the mysteries of B. burgdorferi and its strategies for establishing persistence and inflicting damage on its incidental human host. In essence, this volume is, in part, a response to the repeated attacks on the purposes and integrity of scientists who have dedicated themselves to the study of this recalcitrant bacterium. Our objective is for this compendium to provide a foundation not only for further research progress, but also for sound policy decisions.
Unquestionably, there remains a substantial amount to learn about borrelia and their host interactions. Our field will maintain its present trajectory only if it continues to attract bright and passionate researchers. In addition to providing a much needed reference work for borreliologists and infectious disease specialists, we hope this book will explain the enigma of how these cunning bacteria have managed to hold so many of us in thrall for so long! We also hope, and expect, that the tangled web these spirochetes weave, as expounded in this book, will ensnare our successors.
D. Scott Samuels and Justin D. Radolf
Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis