Vaccine to prevent tick-borne rickettsial infections
Rational development of a vaccine against tick-borne rickettsioses
This project develops a live, weakened vaccine to protect people from serious rickettsial infections spread by ticks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143188 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are building a live-attenuated vaccine based on a weakened Rickettsia strain that showed strong protection in early mouse tests. They will use animal models to test safety and whether the vaccine protects against multiple related rickettsial strains, while measuring antibody and T-cell memory responses. The team will define the immune responses that link to protection to guide later human trials and improve vaccine design.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who live, work, or travel in areas where tick-borne rickettsial infections are common and who want protection from these infections would be the intended beneficiaries and future trial candidates.
Not a fit: People who are severely immunocompromised or otherwise cannot receive live vaccines (and possibly pregnant individuals) may not be eligible or benefit from this live-attenuated vaccine approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer the first safe and effective vaccine to prevent life-threatening tick-borne rickettsial diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Early animal studies with a live-attenuated Rickettsia strain gave full protection in mice against deadly strains, but human testing has not yet occurred.
Where this research is happening
Galveston, United States
- University of Texas Med Br Galveston — Galveston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fang, Rong Megan — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Fang, Rong Megan
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.