LYME DISEASE RNA VACCINE

1 . A Lyme disease vaccine, comprising a messenger RNA (mRNA) comprising an open reading frame (ORF) encoding at least one antigenic polypeptide derived from at least one bacteria of the genus Borrelia.

2 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA is formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP).

3 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA is non-replicating mRNA.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the bacteria of the genus Borrelia is selected from the species B. burgdorferi, afzelii, garinii, bavariensis, mayonii, spielmanii, lusitaniae, bissettii and/or valaisiana , or any strain or isolate thereof.

6 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antigenic polypeptide comprises at least one lipoprotein of Borrelia.

7 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one antigenic polypeptide or lipoprotein is OspA or a fragment or variant thereof;

the OspA or a fragment or variant thereof comprises at least 5 amino acids;

the OspA or a fragment or variant thereof is derived from OspA serotype (ST) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and/or 7;

the OspA or a fragment or variant thereof is derived from Borrelia burgdorferi strain B31 of Serotype 1, Borrelia afzelii strain PKO of Serotype 2, Borrelia garinii strain PBr of Serotype 3, Borrelia bavariensis of Serotype 4, Borrelia garinii of Serotype 5, Borrelia garinii of serotype 6, or Borrelia garinii of Serotype 7; and/or

the at least one OspA polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 85% identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-7.

8 - 11 . (canceled)

12 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA comprises a nucleotide sequence that is at least 85% identical to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 10-13 and 16-19.

13 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein:

the mRNA encodes at least two different OspA serotypes or fragments or variants thereof;

the OspA of one serotype or fragment or variant thereof, preferably comprising at least 5 amino acids, is fused to a OspA of a different serotype, or fragment or variant thereof, preferably comprising at least 5 amino acids; and/or

the fused OspA of different serotypes or fragments or variants thereof are separated by a linker sequence, optionally wherein the linker sequence is derived from P66 or comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 85% identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to SEQ ID NO: 9.

14 - 16 . (canceled)

17 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA comprises at least one chemical modification, optionally wherein

the chemical modification is selected from the group consisting of pseudouridine, N1-methylpseudouridine, 2-thiouridine, 4′-thiouridine, 5-methylcytidine, 2-thio-1-methyl-1-deaza-pseudouridine, 2-thio-1-methyl-pseudouridine, 2-thio-5-aza-uridine, 2-thio-dihydropseudouridine, 2-thio-dihydrouridine, 2-thio-pseudouridine, 4-methoxy-2-thio-pseudouridine, 4-methoxy-pseudouridine, 4-thio-1-methyl-pseudouridine, 4-thio-pseudouridine, 5-aza-uridine, dihydropseudouridine, 5-methyluridine, 5-methyluridine, 5-methoxyuridine, and 2′-O-methyl uridine;

the chemical modification is selected from the group consisting of pseudouridine, N1-methylpseudouridine, 5-methylcytidine, 5-methoxyuridine, and a combination thereof; and/or

the chemical modification is N1-methylpseudouridine.

18 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA is formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) optionally wherein

the LNP comprises at least one cationic lipid;

the cationic lipid is biodegradable or is not biodegradable;

the cationic lipid is cleavable or the cationic lipid is not cleavable;

the cationic lipid is selected from the group consisting of ML7/OF-02; cKK-E10; GL-HEPES-E3-E10-DS-3-E18-1; GL-HEPES-E3-E12-DS-4-E10; GL-HEPES-E3-E12-DS-3-E14; 9-heptadecanyl 8-{(2-hydroxyethyl)[6-oxo-6-(undecyloxy)hexyl]amino}octanoate (SM-102); and (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl]di(hexane-6,1-diyl) bis(2-hexyldecanoate) (ALC-0315); and/or

the cationic lipid is cKK-E10.

22 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 21 , wherein the LNP further comprises:

a polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugated (PEGylated) lipid optionally wherein the PEGylated lipid comprises dimyristoyl-PEG2000 (DMG-PEG2000) or 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide (ALC-0159);

a cholesterol-based lipid optionally wherein the cholesterol-based lipid comprises cholesterol; and/or

a helper lipid optionally wherein the helper lipid comprises 1,2-dioleoyl-SN-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC).

30 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 21 , wherein the LNP comprises:

a cationic lipid at a molar ratio of 35% to 55%;

a polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugated (PEGylated) lipid at a molar ratio of 0.25% to 2.75%,

a cholesterol-based lipid at a molar ratio of 20% to 45%, and

a helper lipid at a molar ratio of 5% to 35%,

wherein all of the molar ratios are relative to the total lipid content of the LNP.

36 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 35 , wherein the LNP comprises:

a cationic lipid at a molar ratio of 40%,

a PEGylated lipid at a molar ratio of 1.5%,

a cholesterol-based lipid at a molar ratio of 28.5%, and

a helper lipid at a molar ratio of 30%.

37 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 35 , wherein the LNP comprises:

cKK-E10 at a molar ratio of 40%,

DMG-PEG2000 at a molar ratio of 1.5%,

cholesterol at a molar ratio of 28.5%, and

DOPE at a molar ratio of 30%.

38 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 21 , wherein the LNP has an average diameter of 30-200 nm optionally wherein the LNP has an average diameter of 80-150 nm.

39 . (canceled)

40 . The Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , wherein the mRNA comprises at least one 5′ cap, at least one 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR), at least one 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR), and/or at least one polyadenylation (polyA) sequence.

41 . (canceled)

42 . A Lyme disease vaccine, comprising a messenger RNA (mRNA), wherein the mRNA comprises at least of the following structural elements:

(i) a 5′ cap with the following structure:

(ii) a 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) having the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14;

(iii) at least one OspA open reading frame having any one of the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 16-19;

(iv) a 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) having the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15; and

(v) a polyA tail.

43 . A Lyme disease vaccine, comprising a messenger RNA (mRNA) comprising an open reading frame (ORF) encoding at least one antigenic polypeptide derived from at least one bacteria of the genus Borrelia , wherein the mRNA comprises at least the following structural elements:

(i) a 5′ cap with the following structure:

(ii) a 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) having the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14;

(iii) at least one OspA open reading frame having any one of the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 16-19;

(iv) a 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) having the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15; and

(v) a polyA tail;

wherein the mRNA is formulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) comprising:

cKK-E10 at a molar ratio of 40%,

DMG-PEG2000 at a molar ratio of 1.5%,

cholesterol at a molar ratio of 28.5%, and

DOPE at a molar ratio of 30%.

44 . A method of eliciting an immune response in a subject, comprising administering to the subject the Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 , optionally wherein the immune response is a humoral immune response.

45 . (canceled)

46 . A method of treating or preventing Lyme disease in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject the Lyme disease vaccine of claim 1 ; optionally wherein:

the subject has a higher serum concentration of antibodies against OspA after administration of the Lyme disease vaccine, relative to a subject that is administered a Lyme disease vaccine comprising an OspA recombinant protein vaccine;

the subject is a mammal; and/or

the subject is a human, a dog, a cat, a llama, a bovine, a sheep, a goat, a horse, a rodent, a mouse, a rat, a rabbit, a monkey, a primate or a pig, more preferably a human.

47 - 49 . (canceled)