Gene drives are a promising tool for malaria control - how can we tell they actually work?

Transcript

Gene drives are a promising new tool for malaria control. They involve releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild – mosquitoes engineered to halt the parasites from developing inside the insects, or that cause the mosquitoes to die. These GM mosquitoes are then released into new habitats. Over time and across multiple generations, the gene drive spreads, reducing malaria transmission. That’s the theory. But one fundamental question remains: how can we tell they actually work? Experts say there are three distinct measures of gene drive efficacy. First, smaller-scale trials of releases should emphasize genetic efficacy, measuring the spread and frequency of the gene drive across time and space. Then, examine entomological efficacy by measuring the density of mosquitoes or the number of parasites they carry. Finally, consider the epidemiological data, by measuring the number of malaria cases in the areas where the gene drive has been released. This approach aims to ensure that the ‘causal pathway’ of gene drives effectively reduces cases and deaths.

Source

Considerations for first field trials of low-threshold gene drive for malaria vector control

About The Podcast

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

Temperature, rainfall, and humidity determine malaria transmission - but climate change is altering each one of those variables. What might this mean for cases of the disease?

With Alex Eapen, from the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) in Chennai, India.

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

Researchers compare the temperature of mosquito breeding spots with a decade early to examine its impact on malaria transmission.

Transcript

The effects of climate change on malaria are becoming clearer. Anopheles stephensi – an urban form of the malaria mosquito – is changing its geography, moving from Southeast Asia to parts of Africa and India. To investigate the link between temperature and malaria, between 2021 and 2022 researchers in Chennai, India placed data loggers that recorded temperature – and the daily range of temperature - in both indoor and outdoor settings. They took those measurements and compared them to ten years earlier, from 2012 to 2013. The daily temperature range of indoor asbestos structures increased from 4.3 to 12.6 degrees Celsius — compared to a marginal increase in other structures. Importantly, an increase in temperature was associated with a decrease in the incubation period – that's the time it takes for the parasite to develop in the mosquito. With invasive mosquito species entering new areas, combined with the shorter time it takes to transmit, it's becoming more clear that rising temperatures will lead to an increase in malaria cases in certain areas – and that preparation will be key.

Source

Impact of climate change on temperature variations and extrinsic incubation period of malaria parasites in Chennai, India: implications for its disease transmission potential

About The Podcast

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.