Lena Prisco, principal researcher at the Vineyard Center for Clinical Research, is conducting three clinical trials which she hopes will lead to breakthroughs in diagnosing Lyme disease.
Anyone with the hallmark symptoms of Lyme disease — body aches, joint pain, fatigue, rash, or who was recently bitten or thinks he or she was bitten by a tick, may be eligible to participate in the study. Ms. Prisco, who holds a master’s degree and doctorate in pharmacology, said volunteers will first be treated with a three-week course of doxycycline. Then they will be required to come back for blood tests after three and then six months.
“One trial is the continuation of a study we started last year with a company called Oxford Immunotec,” Ms. Prisco said. “Another is being done in conjunction with Stanford University, to look at responses in patients’ white blood cells and the chemokines they produce in response to infection. The third trial is a collaboration with the Bay Area Biobank.” Ms. Prisco hopes the trials will lead to advances in the diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, the existence of which is a hotly debated topic.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that people have chronic Lyme disease,” Ms. Prisco said. “Hopefully this research will help clarify that.”
In her former capacity as laboratory director and director of infection control at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Ms. Prisco was on the front lines of the battle against Lyme disease on the Vineyard. Because of the shortcomings in diagnostics, it’s difficult to quantify the number of cases on the Island, but Ms. Prisco said the trend is clear. “There were definitely a higher number of positives last year than ever before,” she said. “By participating in this study, people can do something for their community.”
The Center for Clinical Research is the investigative arm of Vineyard Medical Care, a walk-in clinic located on State Road across from Cronig’s Market in Vineyard Haven.
Ms. Prisco said Islanders can enlist at Vineyard Medical Care weekdays between 8 am and 2 pm. Compensation will be provided to eligible volunteers. For more information, call 508-687-9520.
