Mosquito gene edit halts malaria spread

today.ucsd.edu

Scientists have engineered mosquitoes to halt malaria transmission by altering a single gene, a breakthrough that could combat the deadly disease. This CRISPR-based system modifies a protein in mosquitoes, preventing malaria parasites from reaching their salivary glands and thus stopping transmission to humans. The genetic change is designed to spread through mosquito populations. Researchers tested the system in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, a primary malaria vector in Asia, successfully blocking parasite infection and spread.


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