Ixodes ricinus transmits bacterial, protozoal and viral pathogens that cause Lyme borreliosis, babesiosis and tick-borne encephalitis respectively and exceedingly affect Central and Eastern Europe. During feeding, ticks introduce salivary proteins in the skin that interfere with host defense mechanisms. However, in animals repeated tick infestations as well as vaccination against selected tick proteins can lead to decreased pathogen transmission by inhibiting tick feeding – known as ‘tick immunity’ – or by neutralizing tick proteins that facilitate the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Therefore, anti-tick vaccines encompass an innovative strategy to prevent tick-borne diseases in humans, or animals and wildlife to indirectly reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases for humans.
Using state of the art proteomic and transcriptomic approaches, this project will identify and characterize novel tick salivary gland proteins involved in ‘tick immunity’ and tick-borne pathogen transmission. These proteins will be subsequently assessed as anti-tick vaccines to protect against Lyme borreliosis, babesiosis and tick-borne encephalitis in animal models. In addition, through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach involving Central and Eastern European public health institutes, health organizations and industrial companies we will examine how to develop anti-tick vaccines and implement these in public health systems

http://www.antidote-fp7.org/