Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borreliaburgdorferi. The microorganism is transmitted primarilyby ticks and is endemic in heavily wooded areas andforests. The disease produces arthritis-like symptoms. Avaccine against Lyme disease was created by developinga recombinant E. coli that contains the gene for the bacterialouter surface protein. This protein (OspA) is a singlepolypeptide chain of 257 amino acids with covalentlybound lipids at the N-terminus. The vaccine is formulatedas a suspension with aluminum hydroxide as an adsorptionadjuvant. In testing, subjects between 15 and 70 yearsimmunized with 3 doses of LYMErix at 0, 1, and 12months demonstrated a 78% decrease in the likelihood ofinfection.
