Mosquito and cucumber salad anyone?

Part cucumber and part fly

In order to inhibit ookinete development within the stomach, the research team has developed genetically modified mosquitoes. They are just like regular mosquitoes accept for one gene. This newly introduced gene is part lectin-making gene from the sea cucumber and part gene from the mosquito that makes a substance that is released into the stomach during feeding. In this way the toxin can be introduced into the stomach where it can kill the ookinete cells.

Still no solution (of should we say ‘dressing’)

The concept of genetically modifying mosquitoes to disrupt parasite development prior to human infection is a novel approach to control the disease that is gaining recognition due to limited success elsewhere.

Currently, the only treatments against the parasite once they are in human blood are chloroquine, quinine, doxycycline, mefloquine and a few others. Unfortunately, since the most afflicted countries tend to be the poorest there has been little commercial incentive to develop new drugs. But with the disease now on our doorstep’s perhaps activity here will step up.

The rapid spread of antimalarial drug resistance over the past few decades has required more intensive monitoring to make sure there is proper management of clinical cases and early detection of changing patterns of resistance. Countries are being assisted in strengthening their drug resistance surveillance systems.

Mosquitoes have also built up resistance to insecticides which have been used in abundance.

But the deployment of super mossies that can fight off infection, like the cucumber salad, faces considerable challenges. In order to carry out this endeavor, thousands of mosquito embryos must be injected with a gene encoding for the anti-malarial protein and then the genetically modified adult mosquitoes released into the wild. And, unfortunately the toxic protein does not totally remove all parasites from all mosquitoes and as such, at this stage of development, would not be effective enough to prevent transmission of malaria to humans.

Furthermore, the genetically modified version of the mosquito would have to become the predominant species which is very difficult to achieve.

More research needs to be done but this finding is a first step toward developing a new method of preventing transmission of malaria thanks to the lowly sea cucumber.