B.I.T.E.: Binding to Increase Tick Evasion

The BITE Team is exploring the CO2  binding ability of compounds to develop an environmentally-conscious and safe alternative to DEET as a way to make humans effectively invisible to ticks.  

Description

As of 2022, it is estimated that 14% of the world population has had or currently has Lyme Disease, totaling an estimated 300,000 of those affected being in North America. Pennsylvania, in particular, has been noted as a state with the highest number of cases. The main vector for this disease, the tick, seeks out hosts by following trails of carbon dioxide. Current prevention methods for tick bites rely on DEET, which poses both health and environmental risks. Compounds like hemoglobin, which naturally binds carbon dioxide, represent potential environmentally friendly and safer tick repellents by interrupting the carbon dioxide trail. We are studying the application of hemoglobin in topical creams to prevent tick attraction to hosts. Our developed formulas will effectively make humans invisible to ticks and will eliminate health and environmental concerns.

Applications

• Tick repellent
• Lyme’s Disease
• Reduction of use of DEET

Advantages

Currently, DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is a widely used chemical in many insect repellents and recommended by the CDC. Despite its widespread use, it has many harmful side effects, such as eye irritation, discomfort, excessive tearing, redness, and swelling. Chronic use can lead to irritation rashes and swelling. Our proposed formulation uses hemoglobin to bind carbon dioxide exuded by the skin which will interrupt the trail that ticks use to find hosts. Side effects are expected to be much less severe, and the release of hemoglobin is not expected to have significant environmental risks. The product will effectively make the use of DEET obsolete and provide an environmentally conscious and consumer-safe product.

Invention Readiness

A hemoglobin formulation in aloe/water has been tested and found to delay taxis in tick experiments at carbon dioxide levels significantly higher than exuded from the skin relative to controls to a statistically significant degree. The time for this formulation to achieve saturation by ambient carbon dioxide exceeds 1 hour. Tests on human subjects is expected to begin soon.

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2025080692A1