Genetically altered mice could be used to control Lyme disease in Nantucket

NANTUCKET, Mass. — Researchers led by an MIT professor have an idea to slow the spread of Lyme disease, by releasing genetically engineered mice on Nantucket.

According to the group, ticks don't inherently carry Lyme disease. Rather, the insects pick up the disease when they feed on mice that do carry it.

“So the idea is what would happen if we immunized all of the mice and what if we did so in a way that was permanent, that was passed on from parent mice to children mice?” MIT assistant professor Kevin Esvelt said.

The group has proposed the idea of changing the mice population to Nantucket residents, saying the plan is to also kill off some mice already on the island and replace them with mice that won't carry the disease.

“We believe it's important to have a community-guided, local grassroots approach,” said Esvelt.

By killing off part of the existing population, the researchers say releasing tens of thousands of engineered mice won't increase the overall population.

“If you do this for a couple of years then we would have released enough mice that are resistant that most of the mice on the island would be resistant,” Esvelt said.

The tick-borne illness has been called an epidemic that is spreading across the state at an alarming rate.

Cox Media Group