Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32993780›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2020

Effect of dapsone alone and in combination with intracellular antibiotics against the biofilm form of B. burgdorferi.

Richard I Horowitz, Krithika Murali, Gauri Gaur, Phyllis R Freeman, Eva Sapi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Genomic characterization and antibiotic susceptibility of biofilm-formingFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Concurrent Infection of the Human Brain with MultipleInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Richard I HorowitzHHS Babesia and Tick-borne Pathogens Subcommittee, Washington, DC, 20201, USA. medical@hvhac.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4952-883X
Krithika MuraliDepartment of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA.
Gauri GaurDepartment of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA.
Phyllis R FreemanHudson Valley Healing Arts Center, 4232 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY, 12538, USA.
Eva SapiDepartment of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA.
University of New Haven · USSchool Based Health Alliance · US

Funding

Global Lyme Alliance not known
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveLyme disease is a tick-borne, multisystemic disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Standard treatments for early Lyme disease include short courses of oral antibiotics but relapses often occur after discontinuation of treatment. Several studies have suggested that ongoing symptoms may be due to a highly antibiotic resistant form of B. burgdorferi called biofilms. Our recent clinical study reported the successful use of an intracellular mycobacterium persister drug used in treating leprosy, diaminodiphenyl sulfone (dapsone), in combination therapy for the treatment of Lyme disease. In this in vitro study, we evaluated the effectiveness of dapsone individually and in combination with cefuroxime and/or other antibiotics with intracellular activity including doxycycline, rifampin, and azithromycin against Borrelia biofilm forms utilizing crystal violet biofilm mass, and dimethyl methylene blue glycosaminoglycan assays combined with Live/Dead fluorescent microscopy analyses.

resultsDapsone, alone or in various combinations with doxycycline, rifampin and azithromycin produced a significant reduction in the mass and protective glycosaminoglycan layer and overall viability of B. burgdorferi biofilm forms. This in vitro study strongly suggests that dapsone combination therapy could represent a novel and effective treatment option against the biofilm form of B. burgdorferi.

Indexed as

Borrelia burgdorferiLyme DiseaseAnti-Bacterial AgentsBiofilmsDapsoneHumansAnti-Bacterial AgentsDapsoneBiofilmBorrelia burgdorferiDapsoneLyme disease

Identifiers

PMID32993780
PMCPMC7523330
OpenAlexW3089503651

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.