Lyme disease vaccine research aimed at preventing infection
Official title: Identification of immunoprotective antigens for preventing Lyme disease
Funded at University of Toledo Health Sci Campus · NIH-11443717 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing a Lyme disease vaccine by studying how the immune system responds to Borrelia burgdorferi and testing vaccine approaches to prevent illness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Toledo Health Sci Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toledo, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $768,796 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI201788-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11443717 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would include individuals at risk for Lyme exposure or those interested in future vaccine trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with established Lyme disease or those not eligible for vaccine development studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding how the immune system (antibodies and B cells) recognizes Borrelia burgdorferi and how to create a safe, effective vaccine that protects people before exposure. It explores using attenuated strains or other immune-activating strategies to generate protective immunity without causing disease. The work includes laboratory studies and preclinical concepts that could lead to a vaccine available to people in the future if successful.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a safe Lyme disease vaccine that reduces infection risk and long-term health problems.
How similar studies have gone: Past vaccine efforts against Lyme have had limited success, making this a novel and exploratory approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
Toledo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wooten, Ronald Mark — University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
- Study coordinator: Wooten, Ronald Mark
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 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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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.
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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.