This Scientific American article delves into the genetic engineering of malaria-resistant mosquitoes in an effort to reduce malaria transmission between vectors and hosts. By injecting an engineered gene into the Anopeheles stephensi mosquitoes’ eggs, Dr. Anthony James and his colleagues were able to breed malaria-resistant mosquitoes that were incapable of transmitting the malaria parasite to humans with a bite. Intriguingly, the engineered gene has been shown to be dominant; consequently, Dr. James and his colleagues believe that releasing the malaria-resistant mosquitoes in strategic locations could potentially reduce transmission rates significantly. This novel development in the field of infectious diseases is particularly significant as many scientists predict that climate change (and increased rainfall) may increase the prevalence of malaria by providing mosquitoes with more breeding sites through puddles. One obstacle to this transmission-reducing method, however, is that researchers would have to generate millions of malaria-resistant mosquitoes and subsequently release them into specific locations at strategic times. While this novel method for reducing transmission rates does face certain obstacles, it could potentially be used to reduce the prevalence of other vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and the West Nile virus. Consequently, Dr. James’ study has significant implications for the prevention of vector-borne diseases, particularly in areas where access to medical resources may be scarce. This Scientific American article is relevant to the nature of our malaria discussion as we briefly mentioned how scientists have genetically engineered malaria-resistant mosquitoes; as a result, it was interesting to gain a deeper understanding of how researchers have actually accomplished this.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/malaria-resistant-mosquitoes-lab-bred-first-time/