Genetically engineered mosquitoes with toxic semen could be new weapon against tropical disease, Australian scientists said after testing the new pest control method.
The “toxic male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that express toxic proteins in their semen, killing females after mating.
Female mosquitoes are targeted because only they bite and drink blood, thereby spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Australian scientist Sam Beach Macquarie University said the method “could work as quickly as pesticides without harming beneficial species as well.”
“This innovative solution could revolutionize how we manage pests, providing hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” said Beach.
The first proof-of-concept experiments used fruit flies, a common laboratory species favored for its short two-week life cycle.
The scientists found that the lifespan of the female flies that bred with “poisonous” males was significantly reduced.
Researcher Maciej Maselko said that the team would now test the method in mosquitoes.
“We still need to implement it in mosquitoes and do rigorous safety testing to make sure there are no risks to humans or other non-target species,” he said.
The mosquitoes had to be genetically modified so that they only expressed the toxic semen when they were released into the wild, the researchers said.
Nature Communication
This could be done through techniques known as “conditional communication”, which use chemicals or other biological stimuli to turn certain genes on or off at will.
This would allow toxic males to mate with females in laboratory settings, producing enough viable offspring to scale up the technique.
Genetic engineering has been used for years to control populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes.
Usually, these methods slow reproduction by releasing swarms of male insects that have been genetically modified to be sterile.
Computer models showed that active methods of killing biting females could be much more effective, the research team said.
The research was described in a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday night.
The mosquito has killed up to 50 billion people over human life.
Africa is affected by malariawith 95% of the fatal cases recorded each year, and children under the age of 5 make up about 80% of these deaths. The malaria parasite spreads to people bitten by infected mosquitoes, and causes initial symptoms including high fever, headache and chills.
Mosquitoes are responsible for millions of annual deaths worldwide from malaria, dengue fever and other diseases, according to the World Health Organization.
Eastern walrus encephalitis virus is also spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Last year, a resident of New York who tested positive for EEE died, and in 2019, the CDC reported that at least 15 people in the US died from the rare disease.
