# Peptide-vaccine development against Lyme disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $380,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
Lyme disease is an endemic tick-borne disease associated with debilitating manifestations such as arthritis,
muscle pain, carditis, meningitis, and encephalomyelitis. Despite extensive efforts in the field, there is still no
vaccine for the prevention of this infection available for human use. To address this problem, our laboratory has
developed novel methodologies to identify antigens relevant during bacterial infection in ticks and mammals and
design peptide antigens based on extracellular and conserved regions of these proteins.
Our hypothesis for this work is that peptides based on outer-membrane proteins expressed in various phases of
the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi can be used as protective vaccines antigens against Lyme disease. To test
this, we propose to perform RNA sequencing of B. burgdorferi during infection of ticks and mice to identify the
genes most highly expressed in both organisms (Aim 1). Our objective is to synthesize peptides based on the
extracellular regions of these proteins, and determine their antigenicity in a murine model. We will select antigens
that are highly conserved, immunogenic, and do not display cross-reactivity with human antigens to avoid off-
target reactivity (Aim 2). We will then test these antigens in a murine model of vaccination and challenge in
combination with various adjuvants capable of eliciting specific humoral and cellular immune responses. To do
this, we will use various murine reporter systems for IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-17 to measure bacterial clearance and
T-cell response during immunization and challenge (Aim 3). To select the best adjuvant, we will also measure
germinal center formation and memory B and T cell production. At the conclusion of these studies, we will have
formulated a peptide-based vaccine containing antigens based on outer-membrane proteins with an adjuvant
capable of conferring a strong cellular immune response. These studies will help with the identification of novel
antigens and provide answers for the prevention of Lyme disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9990001
- **Project number:** 1R01AI152219-01
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mariette Barbier
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $380,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9990001

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9990001, Peptide-vaccine development against Lyme disease (1R01AI152219-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9990001. Licensed CC0.

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