Scientists have developed a breed of an antimalarial mosquito in an effort to eliminate the disease affecting millions of people worldwide every year. The new genetically modified mosquitoes can rapidly introduce malaria-blocking genes to another mosquito population, eliminating the ability of the insect to transmit the disease to humans.

Through a gene editing technique, the species of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were able to prevent malaria transmission to 99.5 percent of its offspring. A. stephensi are known to be the leading source of malaria in Asia.

Researchers from the University of California delivered a DNA element in the germ line of the mosquitoes through a gene editing tool called the Crispr method. This method allows experts to access a cell's nucleus to cut DNA and replace mutated genes or insert new ones.

"This opens up the real promise that this technique can be adapted for eliminating malaria," said UCI Professor Anthony James. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Malaria is considered one of the leading health problems worldwide. A report by the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention shows that 300 to 500 million cases of malaria occur each year, killing almost one million people, commonly infants, young children and pregnant women.

Over 40 percent of the population across the world live in areas at high risk of having the disease, the majority of whom are from Africa.

The work comes from a collaboration between James and University of California San Diego biologists Ethan Bier and Valentino Gantz, who previously shared work on fruit flies to develop a new method of generating mutations in both copies of a gene.

Gantz had packaged the antimalaria genes with an enzyme that can cut DNA, and a guide RNA for a genetic “cassette.” The cassette targets a highly specific spot on the germ line DNA to insert the antimalaria antibody genes when injected to a mosquito embryo. Gantz and Bier’s method was then fused with James’ mosquitoes

Further testing is needed to confirm the efficacy of the antibodies, James said. The team is hoping to conduct field studies.

"This is a significant first step," he said. "We know the gene works. The mosquitoes we created are not the final brand, but we know this technology allows us to efficiently create large populations."

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