mRNA vaccination of rabbits alters the fecundity, but not the attachment, of adult Ixodes scapularis

Jaqueline Matias; Yingjun Cui; Geoffrey E. Lynn; Kathleen DePonte; Emily Mesquita; Hiromi Muramatsu; Mohamad G. Alameh; Garima Dwivedi; Ying K. Tam; Norbert Pardi; Drew Weissman; Erol Fikrig

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50389-6

Scientific Reports (Jan 2024)

mRNA vaccination of rabbits alters the fecundity, but not the attachment, of adult Ixodes scapularis

Jaqueline Matias,
Yingjun Cui,
Geoffrey E. Lynn,
Kathleen DePonte,
Emily Mesquita,
Hiromi Muramatsu,
Mohamad G. Alameh,
Garima Dwivedi,
Ying K. Tam,
Norbert Pardi,
Drew Weissman,
Erol Fikrig

Affiliations

Jaqueline Matias: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Yingjun Cui: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Geoffrey E. Lynn: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Kathleen DePonte: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Emily Mesquita: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Hiromi Muramatsu: Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Mohamad G. Alameh: Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Garima Dwivedi: Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Ying K. Tam: Acuitas Therapeutics
Norbert Pardi: Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Drew Weissman: Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Erol Fikrig: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50389-6
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 5

Abstract

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Abstract 19ISP is a nucleoside-modified mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine that targets 19 Ixodes scapularis proteins. We demonstrate that adult I. scapularis have impaired fecundity when allowed to engorge on 19ISP-immunized rabbits. 19ISP, therefore, has the potential to interrupt the tick reproductive cycle, without triggering some of the other effects associated with acquired tick resistance. This may lead to the development of new strategies to reduce I. scapularis populations in endemic areas.

Published in Scientific Reports

ISSN: 2045-2322 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/srep/

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