Using tick biology to create vaccines that stop ticks and the diseases they spread
Tick Immune-Developmental and Metabolic Pathways as Anti-Tick Vaccine Targets
Using mRNA vaccine technology to target key tick proteins to help protect people who are often exposed to ticks from Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11268000 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are using mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccines that teach the immune system to recognize important tick proteins involved in development, metabolism, and immunity. They will test prioritized vaccine candidates in animals (rabbits, mice including Peromyscus, and guinea pigs) to see whether immune responses reduce tick molting, fertility, and overall survival. The project also examines whether these vaccines reduce ticks' ability to carry bacteria that cause Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum). Promising targets discovered in animals would be advanced toward human vaccine development in later stages.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) who live in or frequently work or recreate in areas where ticks and tick-borne infections are common would be the likely candidates for future human vaccine trials.
Not a fit: People who live outside tick-endemic regions, those with a current tick-borne infection, or those allergic to vaccine components would be unlikely to benefit immediately from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower tick survival and reduce human infections from tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
How similar studies have performed: This builds on recent laboratory findings showing the mRNA-LNP approach can target tick proteins, a promising but still early and largely preclinical strategy.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fikrig, Erol — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Fikrig, Erol
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 below.