# High sensitivity multiplex detection of tick borne infection peptides

> **NIH NIH R21** · GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $266,684

## Abstract

We will apply a new class of biomarker harvesting nanocage technology to create a highly sensitive, multiplex,
urine and blood test that uses mass spectrometry (MS) to attain absolute specificity for Babesia species causing
human babesiosis and other tick borne pathogens. Babesiosis, a malaria like illness caused by intraerythrocytic
protozoan species of the genus Babesia, is a rising medical problem in the United States, and still poses
unsolved diagnostic issues. In the most severe cases, Babesia infection is associated with thrombocytopenia,
unstable blood pressure, acute respiratory distress, disseminated intravascular coagulation, renal and liver
failure, changes in brain functions, and death. Microscopy diagnosis is accurate only in acute, symptomatic
patients, and requires manual, non-automated review of multiple blood smears. An accurate, faster and more
economical direct antigen test is urgently needed. Since the course of Babesiosis is elevated in severity in the
presence of concurrent tick borne infections, a test that, in a single sample, can detect coinfections with great
sensitivity and specificity would be of great value for patient management. A sensitive and specific protein based
direct test for screening US blood supplies is lacking to guide rejection of donors only in presence of active
disease, in contrast with currently used indirect serological methods. As shown by our supporting data, we
achieved the high levels of analytical sensitivity necessary to detect hundreds of babesial proteins in lysed red
blood cells, plasma and urine of Babesia microti infected Golden hamsters and infected patients. This has been
impossible in the past because of the extreme low abundance of babesial markers in the biomolecule matrix of
blood and urine. Our nanocage nanoparticles can capture, concentrate, and preserve, biomolecules with high
affinity, increasing the effective sensitivity greater than 100 fold, reduce the background, achieving a yield close
to 100 percent. We propose to detect and measure specific Babesia protein antigens in the blood and urine of
infected Golden hamsters and humans at a sensitivity of 5 picograms per mL. Unique chemical baits,
immobilized in the Nanotraps are modified organic dyes that bind proteins, nucleic acids, and glycans, with
extremely high affinity (KD <= 10-13 M) and a very low off-rate. We will uniquely identify markers shed by active
pathogens belonging to the following families: Borreliaceae (e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi sl, Borrelia hermsii),
Bartonella henselae, Rickettsiales, Ehrlichiaceae, Mycoplasma, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Francisella
tularensis, Powassan virus, Tick borne encephalitis virus, Colorado tick fever virus using a novel bioinformatics
pipeline. Successful clinical validation of a novel direct urine and blood test, as proposed here, has broad
implications for babesiosis and tick borne disease screening, transmission control, and treatment management.
If successful, this study will p...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9872125
- **Project number:** 5R21AI138135-02
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alessandra Luchini
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $266,684
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-15 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9872125

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9872125, High sensitivity multiplex detection of tick borne infection peptides (5R21AI138135-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9872125. Licensed CC0.

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