Lyme disease symptoms lingering after treatment may be driven by special bacterial fragments
Official title: The natural release of unusual peptidoglycan fragments drives persistent Lyme disease symptoms in susceptible hosts
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11386353 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $512,655 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI178711-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386353 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with a history of Lyme arthritis or persistent symptoms after antibiotic treatment, and samples from patients may be used.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without persistent Lyme symptoms after treatment may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Lyme disease can linger for some people even after treatment. This research explores how unusual fragments from Borrelia burgdorferi may remain in the body and cause ongoing arthritis and symptoms. Scientists will examine what fragments are released, how long they persist, and whether they could be targeted to reduce lingering symptoms. The project uses animal models and human-impacted tissues to understand the mechanism and identify potential therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that reduce long-lasting Lyme symptoms after standard therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that certain bacterial components can trigger joint inflammation, suggesting a plausible path to new therapies, though this specific fragment-driven mechanism is being tested.
Where this research is happening
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Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Min, Booki — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Min, Booki
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
-
Imaging Lyme disease with special PET tracers
A new imaging tool using PET probes is being developed to visualize Lyme disease in people affected by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.
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.