How the Lyme bacteria change a surface protein to hide from the immune system
Official title: Mechanistic Studies of the Role of Genetic Factors in VlsE Antigenic Variation by the Lyme Disease Spirochete
Funded at Washington State University · NIH-11252546 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the Lyme disease bacteria swap parts of a surface protein to avoid immune attack, with the goal of helping people affected by Lyme disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pullman, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $229,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI182112-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252546 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant is laboratory-focused and does not enroll patients directly; the experiments are done on bacterial strains and in animal models at the university.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatments or symptom relief are unlikely to receive direct or short-term benefit because this is basic mechanistic research.
What this research studies
From your perspective as someone affected by Lyme disease, the team is changing copies of a bacterial gene that controls a surface protein called VlsE to see which DNA pieces let the bug hide. They use a new genetic trick to introduce mutations into the native bacterial gene and watch what happens in lab-grown bacteria. The researchers also test mutant bacteria in standard animal models to see whether the changes affect persistence and disease signs like arthritis or heart inflammation. Overall, the work aims to pinpoint the DNA signals and protein interactions that let the bacteria vary their surface and escape immune responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to stop the bacteria from hiding, which might inform future diagnostics, vaccines, or treatments for persistent Lyme disease.
How similar studies have gone: Researchers have used similar bacterial genetics approaches elsewhere, but mutating the native vlsE gene has been difficult until this newly described method, so parts of the work are novel.
Where this research is happening
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Washington State University
Pullman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bankhead, Troy Michael — Washington State University
- Study coordinator: Bankhead, Troy Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding why some people have ongoing symptoms after Lyme disease
A long-term study follows people diagnosed with acute Lyme disease to see who develops persistent symptoms and why, with care from a team of Lyme experts.
-
CSF Protein Map in Post-Treatment Lyme Disease
A short study to map proteins in spinal fluid of people who had Lyme disease and still feel sick after standard treatment, to understand what’s going on.
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Lyme disease vaccine research aimed at preventing infection
Researchers are developing a Lyme disease vaccine by studying how the immune system responds to Borrelia burgdorferi and testing vaccine approaches to prevent illness.
-
Lyme disease brain health: tracking brain signals and blood clues after treatment
This study follows people with early Lyme disease and compares them to healthy volunteers to see how the brain and blood markers change over a year after starting antibiotics.
-
Lyme disease symptoms lingering after treatment may be driven by special bacterial fragments
A human-friendly look at a study exploring why some Lyme patients keep symptoms after antibiotics and whether tiny fragments from the bacteria are to blame.
-
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.