After decades of trial and error, a promising new target for Lyme disease vaccine is emerging—the Lyme bacterial protein CspZ, which the bacteria use to evade detection from the body’s immune system. CspZ first emerged as a candidate while scientists were looking for proteins that might be evolutionarily conserved across different Lyme bacteria strains and so generate a broad protective response. A new study from a group of international researchers shows that the modified CspZ triggers an immune response targeting the CspZ protein’s exposed “Achilles heel.” 

New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into a harmless bug or supercharge a relatively benign virus, influencing its ability to infect humans and cause dangerous outbreaks.