Tick bite immunity: could repeated exposure protect against lyme and other diseases?
NCT ID NCT05965635
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested whether humans can develop immunity to tick bites by repeatedly exposing 11 volunteers to uninfected ticks. Researchers measured tick feeding success and signs of immune response like itching and redness. The goal is to see if tick immunity exists in people, which could help create a vaccine that targets ticks themselves, potentially preventing multiple tick-borne diseases at once.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ixodes scapularis nymphs (tick bites)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could pave the way for an anti-tick vaccine that prevents multiple tick-borne diseases.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early proof-of-concept study with only 11 participants. It does not test a vaccine or treatment, only whether tick immunity is possible in humans.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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11 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2023
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 18 years and older; * Negative Borrelia VlsE1/pepC10 ELISA. Exclusion Criteria: * Known history of tick bites; * Positive Borrelia serology (VlsE1/PepC10 ELISA); * Known history or current suspicion on any tick-borne disease; * Chronic skin condition affecting the arm skin; * Inability to maintain the dressing for any reason; * Known immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease; * Use of systemic immunomodulating drugs or chemotherapy, current or in the past; * Chronic use of antibiotics; * Unable to give informed consent or do not have a thorough command of the Dutch language; * Refusal to participate in specimen collection and storage for future study related use; * Pregnant or breastfeeding women; * Not willing to use adequate contraception during the study period; * Red meat allergy (both medically confirmed and self-reported); * Use of investigational therapy and devices during the time of the study; * Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient unsuitable for enrolment or could interfere with the patient participating in and completing the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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AUMC location AMC
Amsterdam-Zuidoost, North Holland, 1105 AZ, Netherlands
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.