Understanding Lingering Symptoms After Lyme Disease Treatment
Official title: Epidemiology of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-11184314 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand why some people continue to feel unwell after being treated for early Lyme disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $257,641 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI181934-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184314 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this type of research would be individuals recently diagnosed with early Lyme disease who are about to begin antibiotic treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have fully recovered from Lyme disease or those who do not have Lyme disease would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Many people who get early Lyme disease and receive antibiotics still experience persistent symptoms for weeks or months, a condition known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). We want to learn more about why this happens and what factors might contribute to it. Our approach involves carefully following a large group of patients who are starting treatment for early Lyme disease. We will look closely at whether other infections transmitted by ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes might play a role, and also consider other health factors patients had before or during their Lyme infection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a better understanding of PTLDS, helping to identify who is at risk and potentially guiding new ways to prevent or treat these lingering symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: While the existence of PTLDS is recognized, the specific biological reasons for its persistence are not yet fully understood, making this a novel effort to describe its basis.
Where this research is happening
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Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Telford, Sam R — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Telford, Sam R
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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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.