Main Line Health researcher receives patent for bacterial protein fragments to potentially diagnose and prevent Lyme disease

WYNNEWOOD, Pa., Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The prevalence of Lyme disease is increasing in the United States. Recent estimates are that approximately 476,000 Americans a year are being treated for the tick-borne illness, with Justin Timberlake last month joining Justin Bieber and Amy Schumer among celebrities disclosing their struggles with the disease. A researcher for Main Line Health, a five-hospital System serving the Philadelphia region, has now been issued a patent for new clinical tools with the potential to diagnose and prevent the disease.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued U.S. Patent No. 12,364,744 B2 to Sunil Thomas, PhD, for several protein fragments derived from the bacteria causing Lyme disease that can be used for both its detection through blood testing and prevention via vaccination.

"I turned my attention to Lyme disease because the health threat's prevalence is worsening," said Dr. Thomas, a Research Professor with the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, part of Main Line Health. "Once exclusively found in the northeastern United States, many Lyme disease cases are now being diagnosed nationwide as well as in Europe and parts of Asia. Also, the disease is no longer purely seasonal — climate change has led to ticks being active even in winter months. I believe these immunogenic peptides — short protein fragments that elicit an immune response — can be an effective tool against Lyme disease."

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Early symptoms often include fever, fatigue, joint stiffness and a distinctive bull's-eye rash, but if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious complications.

Dr. Thomas' research identified six protein fragments derived from the bacteria that were shown to elicit strong immune responses and, when combined, offer useful new tools for blood testing. Testing was performed with samples at Lankenau Medical Center.

Notably, four of these protein fragments were also shown in preclinical testing to confer significant protection against the disease, supporting their utility as a vaccine.

"Although a Lyme disease vaccine has been produced before, it was rejected by the market and is no longer in production," said George Prendergast, PhD, President and CEO of Main Line Health. "Dr. Thomas' formulations show the potential for the necessary superior results at a time when the disease's spread is growing without any clinical tools available for its effective prevention. With his groundbreaking work and serving as editor of the three-volume series Vaccine Design: Methods and Protocols, Dr. Thomas has proven himself a real leader in the field of immunology. We look forward to finding partners to help bring his blood test and vaccine to society and fight this disease."

During Dr. Thomas' career, he has developed numerous therapeutic and diagnostic techniques and been awarded several patents for his groundbreaking work. Among his achievements, he modeled the membrane protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, and showed that it functions as a sugar transporter, and he also modeled the transmembrane non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2.

SOURCE Main Line Health, Inc.