# LYME DISEASE--STUDY OF THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENT

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 1992 · $182,655

## Abstract

Lyme disease and related disorders is an arthropod-borne disease
caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.  The disease is
widespread with cases reported from Europe, Asia, Africa,
Australia and North America.  The hard tick, Ixodes dammini is
the major vector of the spirochete in northeastern and
midwestern United States where the majority of the cases of
Lyme disease occur.  The number of cases of Lyme disease
diagnosed is increasing and the distribution of I. dammini appears
to be enlarging.  The epidemiology of Lyme disease is complex
and present control measures are inadequate.  Laboratory
diagnosis of this disease is hampered by a slow host immune
response and isolation of the spirochete from patients has been a
low yield procedure.  Borrelia burgdorferi by an unknown
mechanism(s) can evade the immune response of the host and
persist in tissues resulting in chronic arthritis and progressive
neurological disease.  The chronic forms of Lyme disease may be
unresponsive to the presently recommended antimicrobial
therapy.

The specific aims of this proposal are:  (1) genetic studies of
Borrelia burgdorferi; (2) development of a vaccine for Lyme
disease; (3) spirocheticidal assay for antibodies to B. burgdorferi;
(4) detection of B. burgdorferi antigens in the body fluids of the
host; (5) antibiotic susceptibility studies; (6) monitoring the
establishment of Ixodes dammini and B. burgdorferi in a suburban
residential area with a high density deer population and (7)
improvement of cultural conditions for isolation and growth of the
Lime disease spirochetes.

The information gained in these studies should result in diagnostic
tests for Lyme borreliosis.  This would make it feasible to
diagnose many more cases than is currently possible, resulting in
better patient care and avoidance of late infection sequelae.

The host parasite and antibiotic studies should increase our
understanding of the persistence of the spirochete in the host and
provide information for determining the most efficacious
treatment of the disease.

Improving and defining the presently available culture medium
will facilitate isolation of the borreliae from host tissues as well
as allowing higher cell yields for antigen preparations.

The DNA studies of B. burgdorferi will provide an important
foundation for a classification scheme and will be used as an
epidemiological tool.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3156939
- **Project number:** 5R01AR034744-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KABJZBBJ4B54
- **Principal Investigator:** RUSSELL C JOHNSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $182,655
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-12-01 → 1993-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3156939

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3156939, LYME DISEASE--STUDY OF THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENT (5R01AR034744-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3156939. Licensed CC0.

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