Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.

Education:

Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
M.Sc., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
B.Sc., Biomedical Science, Universidade de Cruz Alta, Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese
Photo of Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.

Leah C. Katzelnick, Ph.D., MPH

Education:

Ph.D., 2016, University of Cambridge

Photo of Leah C. Katzelnick, Ph.D., MPH

Bernard Moss, M.D., Ph.D.

Education:

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

M.D., New York University School of Medicine

Photo of Bernard Moss, M.D., Ph.D.

B. Joseph Hinnebusch, Ph.D.

Education:

Ph.D., 1991, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

B. Joseph Hinnebusch, Ph.D.

Sanjay Desai, M.D., Ph.D.

Specialty(s): Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine

Education:

M.D., Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis

Photo of Sanjay Desai, M.D., Ph.D.

Stefan Muljo, Ph.D.

Education:

Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Stefan Muljo, Ph.D.

Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

Specialty(s): Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., University of Oxford, UK

Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

Victor Lobanenkov, Ph.D.

Contact: Victor Lobanenkov, Ph.D.

Education:

Ph.D., 1981, Cancer Research Center, Moscow

M.A., 1977, Institute of Physics, UK

Victor Lobanenkov, Ph.D.

V. Koneti Rao, M.D., FRCPA

Contact: V. Koneti Rao, M.D., FRCPA

Specialty(s): Hematology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, India

V. Koneti Rao, M.D., FRCPA

Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.

Chief, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit
Tenure-track Investigator
Contact Information
Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.

Major Areas of Research

  • Study the tick feeding site in order to get insights into tick-host-pathogen interaction at molecular and cellular level
  • Study how ticks evade and exploit host keratinocytes and its relevance to tick feeding and Borrelia burgdorferi transmission
  • Study the importance of tick saliva for blood feeding and pathogen transmission
  • Use and development of in vitro and in vivo systems to study the interactions between tick-host-pathogen

Program Description

Human vector-borne diseases in the United States are primarily tick-borne. Tick-borne disease have rapidly become a serious and growing threat to public health. As blood feeding arthropods, ticks salivate while they puncture host skin in their search of blood. Tick saliva contains several compounds that have anti-coagulant, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory functions. While helping the vector to feed, tick saliva also modifies the site where pathogens are injected and, in many cases, facilitates the infection process. In recent years, we have contributed to the analysis of several salivary proteomes and the functional characterization of tick saliva proteins. A deeper understanding of tick feeding biology is needed to discover weak links that can be targeted for effective anti-tick vaccine development. The overall objective of our research is to understand the mechanisms of tick-host-pathogen interactions at the molecular and cellular level. Our approach uses biological and biophysical methodologies to first identify the components of an interaction system (i.e., tick-vertebrate host) and then to examine the mechanistic details of the interaction into tick-host-pathogen interface. A combination of bioinformatic analyses, recombinant protein production, biochemical characterization, and RNA silencing will be utilized to accomplish this goal. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a new transmission blocking strategy for tick-borne diseases.

Research Group

Larissa Martins, Ph.D.

Selected Publications

Tirloni L , Kim TK , Berger M , Termignoni C, da Silva Vaz I Jr, Mulenga A. Amblyomma Americanum Serpin 27 (AAS27) Is a Tick Salivary Anti-Inflammatory Protein Secreted Into the Host During Feeding. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Aug; 13(8).

Tirloni L, Kim TK, Pinto AFM, Yates JR 3rd, da Silva Vaz I Jr, Mulenga A. Tick-Host Range Adaptation: Changes in Protein Profiles in Unfed Adult Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum Saliva Stimulated to Feed on Different Hosts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2017 Dec 19;7.

Tirloni L, Kim TK, Coutinho ML, Ali A, Seixas A, Termignoni C, Mulenga A, da Silva Vaz I Jr. 
The putative role of Rhipicephalus microplus salivary serpins in the tick-host relationship. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2016 Apr;71:12-28.

Tirloni L, Islam MS, Kim TK, Diedrich JK, Yates JR 3rd, Pinto AF, Mulenga A, You MJ, Da Silva Vaz I Jr. Saliva from nymph and adult females of Haemaphysalis longicornis: a proteomic study. Parasit Vectors. 2015 Jun 24;8.

Tirloni L, Reck J, Terra RM, Martins JR, Mulenga A, Sherman NE, Fox JW, Yates JR 3rd, Termignoni C, Pinto AF, Vaz Ida S Jr. Proteomic analysis of cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus saliva: a comparison between partially and fully engorged females. PLoS One. 2014 Apr 24;9(4).

Visit PubMed for a complete publication list.

Section or Unit Name
Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit
Lab/Program Name
Laboratory of Bacteriology
First Name
Lucas
Last Name
Tirloni
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Section/Unit: Location
Hamilton, MT
This Researcher/Clinician’s Person Page
Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.
Parent Lab/Program
Laboratory of Bacteriology
Program Description

Human vector-borne diseases in the United States are primarily tick-borne. These diseases have rapidly become a serious and growing threat to public health. As blood-feeding arthropods, ticks salivate while puncturing host skin in search of blood. Tick saliva contains compounds with anticoagulant, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory functions. While aiding the tick in feeding, tick saliva also modifies the site where pathogens are injected, often facilitating the infection process.

The time required for ticks to transmit pathogens varies depending on the pathogen. For Lyme disease, ticks generally need to be attached for at least 36 – 48 hours before Borrelia burgdorferi transmission occurs. Similarly, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis) and Borrelia miyamotoi (relapsing fever) transmission likely require more than 24 hours. Babesia microti (the causative agent of babesiosis) is also unlikely to be transmitted within the first 36 hours of tick attachment. Therefore, removing an infected tick within 24 hours significantly reduces the risk of contracting these tick-borne pathogens. Understanding the mechanisms that govern the early stages of tick feeding is crucial for tick biology research. Disrupting these processes offers potential strategies for controlling tick feeding and pathogen transmission.

Studies characterizing molecular and cellular signaling pathways in tick salivary glands and midguts may help us understand the factors necessary for successful blood meal acquisition and vector competence. Insights gained from these pathways could reveal new molecular targets for controlling ticks and preventing the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Additionally, studies investigating the roles of skin-derived proteases and the impact of tick salivary proteins on wound healing are of significant interest. Tick-borne diseases typically begin in the skin after a tick inoculates the pathogen into the host. However, there is limited information on the early skin response to wound healing following a tick bite, as well as the physiological roles of skin-derived proteases and their influence on tick feeding, pathogen establishment, and disease progression.

Selected Publications

de Sousa-Paula LC, Berger M, Talyuli OAC, Schwartz CL, Saturday GA, Ribeiro JMC, Tirloni L. Exploring the transcriptome of immature stages of Ornithodoros hermsi, the soft-tick vector of tick-borne relapsing fever. Sci Rep. 2024 May 30;14(1):12466. 

Berger M, Rosa da Mata S, Pizzolatti NM, Parizi LF, Konnai S, da Silva Vaz I Jr, Seixas A, Tirloni L. An Ixodes persulcatus Inhibitor of Plasmin and Thrombin Hinders Keratinocyte Migration, Blood Coagulation, and Endothelial Permeability. J Invest Dermatol. 2024 May;144(5):1112-1123.e7. 

Lu S, Martins LA, Kotál J, Ribeiro JMC, Tirloni L. A longitudinal transcriptomic analysis from unfed to post-engorgement midguts of adult female Ixodes scapularis. Sci Rep. 2023 Jul 13;13(1):11360.

Tirloni L, Lu S, Calvo E, Sabadin G, Di Maggio LS, Suzuki M, Nardone G, da Silva Vaz I Jr, Ribeiro JMC. Integrated analysis of sialotranscriptome and sialoproteome of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.): Insights into gene expression during blood feeding. J Proteomics. 2020 Oct 30;229:103899. 

Visit PubMed for a complete publication list.

Major Areas of Research
Research Group Page
Tirloni Research Group
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