Gene drive: communication, hype, and the publics

/in

Gene drive: communication, hype, and the publics

Tags: , ,
Boëte, C.,  Journal of Medical Entomology,  2025.

The discovery of CRISPR has accelerated the development of engineered gene drive (EGD) systems that could be used to spread desired traits in a target species (population replacement) or to exterminate a population within a few generations. This controversial and disruptive technology has raised hopes and fears regarding its application for public health (malaria control), conservation (protection of endangered species, elimination of invasive ones), or agriculture (pest control). Among the different domains where an approach relying on EGD is considered, the fight against malaria is at the forefront. While aiming ultimately at the same goal of reducing malaria burden, the 2 different approaches result in different entomological outcomes. In the case of population removal, the vector is expected to be suppressed leaving its ecological niche vacant and, theoretically without the persistence of modified mosquitoes in the environment. In a strategy based on population replacement, the release of modified mosquitoes designed to be nonvectors should lead to them remaining in the environment without contributing to disease transmission. While most of the work on EGD has been conducted on some malaria vectors, Aedes aegypti (L.)(L.)(L.), a major dengue vector, is now also the target of such approaches (Anderson et al. 2023, 2024). Promoters of EGD in vector control often showcase a number of potential advantages usually falling into the semantic category associated with hypes as defined in Millar et al. (2022) for this technology: its novelty, its cost-effectiveness, its scalability, and the ability to reach last-mile. Note that clearly modeling is seen as a key field of research to determine the potential entomological and epidemiological outcomes for population replacement (Boëte and Koella 2002) or population suppression (Hancock et al. 2024), but it also highlights several critical aspects and limitations of gene drive (crucial efficacy of the refractoriness, persistence of nonmodified vector species, dispersal to name a few). In this context, this is then essential to consider the discourse about the malaria situation and the control of its vectors.