How Lyme bacteria stick to blood vessels and spread through the body
The roles of Lyme spirochete adhesins in hematogenous dissemination
Researchers are figuring out how the bacteria that cause Lyme disease grab onto blood vessel walls and move into joints and other tissues to better help people with Lyme disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310755 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team uses mouse infection models and advanced live imaging to watch Lyme bacteria attach to and cross blood vessel walls in real time. They create bacterial strains that lack or carry specific adhesion proteins to see which proteins drive the initial "meeting" with vessels versus later "transmigration" into joint tissue. By comparing infections over minutes to days, they map which adhesins are linked to dissemination and Lyme-related arthritis. This lab-based work aims to reveal steps that could be blocked to prevent spread of infection.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Lyme disease, especially those with recent infection or Lyme-related arthritis, are the population most directly relevant to this research.
Not a fit: Patients without Lyme disease or whose symptoms are caused by noninfectious conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify bacterial targets to block spread and reduce Lyme-associated arthritis.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and mouse studies have identified several adhesins (like BBK32, VlsE, DbpA/B, OspC, P66) that mediate vascular attachment and tissue invasion, but turning those findings into human therapies remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coburn, Jenifer L — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Coburn, Jenifer L
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 below.