Curbing Malaria’s Spread by Genetic Engineering
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Anonymous,
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News,
2021.
According to the latest World Malaria Report, released in November 2020, there were 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 compared to 228 million cases in 2018. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409,000 in 2019. There is an urgent need to find new ways to combat the growing mosquito resistance to pesticides and malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs. Gene drives are being tested as a new approach. In a new study, researchers from the Imperial College London reported that their approach brings gene drives one step closer as a potential strategy for eliminating malaria. Their study was published in the journal eLife, in a paper titled, “Converting endogenous genes of the malaria mosquito into simple non-autonomous gene drives for population replacement.” More related to this: Gene drives to fight malaria: current state and future directions Gene drive turns mosquitoes into malaria fighters Using gene drive technologies to control vector-borne infectious diseases Exploring gene drive’s role in fight against malaria
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