New Imaging Tools for Lyme Disease
Official title: ImmunoPET Probes for the Imaging of Lyme Disease
Funded at Hunter College · NIH-11142620 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create special imaging agents that can help doctors better find and understand Lyme disease in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hunter College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $552,686 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI175417-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142620 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who have or are suspected of having Lyme disease, especially those with unclear diagnoses or persistent symptoms, could eventually benefit from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without Lyme disease or those whose condition is already well-managed with current treatments may not directly benefit from this specific imaging development.
What this research studies
Lyme disease is becoming more common, but it can be hard to diagnose and treat correctly, leading to serious health problems. We are working to develop new ways to see the bacteria that cause Lyme disease inside the body using advanced imaging. These new tools will target a specific protein on the bacteria, allowing for a clearer picture of where the infection is located. Our goal is to improve how doctors detect and understand Lyme disease, which could lead to more effective treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate and earlier diagnosis of Lyme disease, potentially improving treatment outcomes and reducing long-term complications for patients.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of molecular imaging for infections exists, these specific agents for Lyme disease are first-in-class and represent a novel approach to diagnosis.
Where this research is happening
-
Hunter College
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeglis, Brian Matthew — Hunter College
- Study coordinator: Zeglis, Brian Matthew
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.