Giving long-lasting Lyme protection to wild white-footed mice
Official title: Heritable immunization of the white-footed mouse reservoir of Lyme disease
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-11172237 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers aim to create a one-time genetic immunization for white-footed mice to cut the number of infected ticks and lower Lyme disease risk for people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $825,096 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI152209-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172237 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who live, work, or spend time in Lyme-endemic regions—especially in areas with many ticks—would be most likely to benefit.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside areas with white-footed mice or where Lyme is rare, or whose symptoms are from other causes, are unlikely to see direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project plans to genetically encode protective antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi into the germline of white-footed mice so that offspring inherit Lyme protection. The team will combine multiple antibodies targeting the bacteria's outer surface protein A (OspA) to reduce the chance the bacteria can evolve around the protection. Work will include laboratory genetic engineering and controlled field studies tracking infection rates in mice and ticks. The goal is that fewer infected ticks will mean fewer opportunities for people to get Lyme disease over many years.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could durably lower the number of infected ticks and reduce human cases of Lyme disease in treated areas.
How similar studies have gone: Oral vaccination of wild mice and past human OspA vaccines have lowered tick infection in some settings, but permanently encoding antibodies into wild mice is a novel and largely untested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Esvelt, Kevin — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Esvelt, Kevin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Lyme disease vaccine research aimed at preventing infection
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Understanding Lyme disease immune signals to predict recovery after antibiotics
A research project at MIT aims to find immune biomarkers that tell which Lyme patients will recover after standard antibiotics and who might have lasting symptoms.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.