60 Participants Needed

Immune Response Study for Tick Bites

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AR
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Overseen BySiu-Ping Ng, R.N.
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Phase 1 & 2
Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

Background:Each year, the number of cases of tick-borne diseases increases. The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the vector of at least 7 pathogens that cause human diseases, including Lyme disease. Researchers want to learn more to help them develop vaccines against ticks in the future.Objective:To learn how people s bodies, particularly the skin, respond to tick bites.Eligibility:Healthy adults aged 18 years and older who have no known history of a tick-borne disease or tick bite exposure.Design:Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests.Participants will have 2 skin punch biopsies of healthy skin. For this, a sharp instrument will be used to remove a round plug of skin about the size of a pencil eraser. Participants will then have 10 clean laboratory-bred ticks placed at 2 different sites on their skin (20 ticks total). The ticks will be removed from the first site 1 day after placement and from the second site 2-4 days after placement. Participants will complete symptom diary cards. They will answer questions about itching at the tick feeding sites. They will give blood samples. Photos will be taken of the tick feeding sites. Skin punch biopsies will be collected at the sites of the tick bites.Participants will repeat the tick feeding procedures 2 times, each 2-8 weeks apart. For the 2nd and 3rd procedures, 10 clean laboratory-bred ticks will be placed at 1 site. The ticks will be removed 2-3 days after tick placement. They will have telephone follow-up visits after each procedure.After the final tick removal, participants will have follow-up visits in 4-6 weeks and again in 3 months. They will give blood samples and discuss how they are feeling.Participation will last about 5-7 months.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but you cannot have taken anticoagulants in the past 28 days or oral or IV steroids in the 2 weeks before each tick placement. Other forms of steroids like topical or inhaled are allowed.

How does this treatment for tick bites differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on understanding and enhancing the immune response to tick bites, potentially leading to the development of vaccines against ticks. Unlike other treatments that may address symptoms or infections from tick bites, this approach aims to prevent tick infestations by targeting specific immune pathways and antigens identified through advanced genetic and immune research.12345

Who Is on the Research Team?

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Adriana R Marques, M.D.

Principal Investigator

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

Healthy adults over 18, with blood group B or AB and normal IgE levels, who've never had a tick-borne disease or known tick bite. They must be willing to follow the study procedures for about 5-7 months and use effective contraception. Excluded are those with severe allergies, skin conditions, uncontrolled diabetes, cancer requiring immunosuppression (except non-melanoma skin cancers), HIV, chronic viral hepatitis, syphilis, history of severe allergic reactions to insect venom or drugs.

Inclusion Criteria

No known tick bite
I am a man who can father children and will use contraception.
My hemoglobin level is at least 13.0 g/dL if I am male, or 12 g/dL if I am female.
See 7 more

Exclusion Criteria

Refusal to allow storage of samples and data for future usage
Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention within the past 30 days
I do not have severe skin conditions, uncontrolled diabetes, other cancers, autoimmune diseases needing strong immune system medications, or a history of HIV, chronic hepatitis, or syphilis.
See 13 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks
1 visit (in-person)

Initial Tick Feeding Procedure

Participants undergo the first tick feeding procedure with 10 ticks placed at two sites, followed by skin biopsies and blood samples.

1 week
1 visit (in-person)

Second Tick Feeding Procedure

Participants repeat the tick feeding procedure with 10 ticks at one site, followed by skin biopsies and blood samples.

2-8 weeks after initial procedure
1 visit (in-person), 1 follow-up (telephone)

Third Tick Feeding Procedure

Participants undergo the third tick feeding procedure with 10 ticks at one site, followed by skin biopsies and blood samples.

2-8 weeks after second procedure
1 visit (in-person), 1 follow-up (telephone)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the final tick removal, with blood samples and health discussions.

4-6 weeks and 3 months after final tick removal
2 visits (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Ixodes Scapularis Tick
Trial Overview The trial is studying how human skin responds to deer tick bites. Participants will undergo multiple sessions where lab-bred ticks are placed on their skin and later removed after a few days. Skin biopsies before and after tick placement as well as blood samples will be taken periodically throughout the study.
How Is the Trial Designed?
1Treatment groups
Active Control
Group I: 1Active Control3 Interventions
Healthy Volunteer

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Lead Sponsor

Trials
3,361
Recruited
5,516,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

This study is the first to analyze the immune response in humans to Ixodes scapularis tick bites using advanced RNA sequencing techniques, revealing key immune pathways like interleukin-17 signaling and platelet activation.
The findings suggest that the human response to tick bites shares similarities with that of guinea pigs that develop resistance to ticks, providing valuable insights for creating new biomarkers and potential anti-tick vaccines for humans.
Bulk and single-nucleus RNA sequencing highlight immune pathways induced in individuals during an Ixodes scapularis tick bite.Tang, X., Lynn, GE., Cui, Y., et al.[2023]
The review analyzes the immune-related genes in the genome of Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) to understand how these genes influence the tick's ability to persistently harbor pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease.
Understanding the immune responses of deer ticks is crucial for developing new strategies to combat tick-borne diseases, as it may reveal how these ticks manage to maintain infections without being affected by their own immune system.
Immunity-related genes in Ixodes scapularis--perspectives from genome information.Smith, AA., Pal, U.[2023]
Repeated infestations with pathogen-free Ixodes scapularis nymphs did not lead to acquired resistance in C3H/HeN mice, indicating that the immune response may not strengthen with multiple exposures to ticks.
However, significant differences were observed in the lymphocyte responses to tick salivary gland proteins between infested and noninfested mice, suggesting that tick saliva can modulate immune responses even without pathogen exposure.
Influence of repeated infestations with pathogen-free Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) on in vitro lymphocyte proliferation responses of C3H/HeN mice.Schoeler, GB., Manweiler, SA., Bergman, DK., et al.[2019]

Citations

Bulk and single-nucleus RNA sequencing highlight immune pathways induced in individuals during an Ixodes scapularis tick bite. [2023]
Immunity-related genes in Ixodes scapularis--perspectives from genome information. [2023]
Influence of repeated infestations with pathogen-free Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) on in vitro lymphocyte proliferation responses of C3H/HeN mice. [2019]
Effects of Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi on modulation of the host immune response: induction of a TH2 cytokine response in Lyme disease-susceptible (C3H/HeJ) mice but not in disease-resistant (BALB/c) mice. [2022]
Identification of protective antigens for the control of Ixodes scapularis infestations using cDNA expression library immunization. [2019]
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