Scientists expose volunteers to tick bites to unlock vaccine secrets

NCT ID NCT05036707

First seen May 02, 2026 · Last updated Jun 22, 2026 · Updated 6 times

Summary

This study looks at how healthy people's skin and immune system respond to tick bites. Researchers will place clean, lab-bred ticks on volunteers' skin and take small skin samples and blood to track changes. The goal is to understand tick resistance and help design future vaccines against tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    RECRUITING

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to

If successful, this research could help scientists develop vaccines that prevent tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease.

What could go wrong

This is an early-stage study with only 60 healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to everyone. The goal is to understand immune responses, not to test a treatment.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Lyme disease tick-borne infectious disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.