Advancements and Future Prospects of CRISPR-Cas-Based Population Replacement Strategies in Insect Pest Management

Many insects are categorized as agricultural pests due to their ability to transmit diseases and damage crops, which results in significant economic losses. Scientists have proposed two main pest control strategies: population suppression, aimed at reducing the size or distribution of pest populations, and population replacement, which involves introducing genetically modified populations to replace wild pests after an initial release. Typically, population replacement strategies use gene drive systems to spread beneficial traits throughout the target population. Current promising gene drive systems include homing endonuclease genes (HEGs), Wolbachia, maternal-effect dominant embryonic arrest (Medea), and newly adapted CRISPR/Cas genome editing systems. This review provides an overview of the recent advancements in population replacement, including insights into the development, testing, and safe implementation of CRISPR-Cas-based gene drive techniques from laboratory settings to field applications. It also discusses recent developments, identifies research gaps, and offers a comprehensive analysis of genetic control strategies for insect pests.

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