Mosquito Research
Research on mosquito genetics, physiology, and ecology may lead to new ways to prevent and control malaria. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funds many research projects at institutions in the United States and abroad aimed at developing a comprehensive understanding of the biology of the mosquito vector.
The malaria parasite undergoes a series of transformations as it develops within the mosquito vector. During this process, the parasite must invade the mosquito stomach, and subsequently the mosquito salivary glands, in order to be successfully transmitted. This complex cycle provides opportunities to block its development and transmission.
One cutting-edge area of mosquito research is the development of genetically modified insects that are incapable of harboring or transmitting the malaria parasite. Researchers have identified small proteins that interfere with Plasmodium development within the mosquito; other scientists have shown that genes can be successfully introduced into the insect vectors and maintained in future generations.
Because some mosquitoes support malaria parasites while others do not, researchers are attempting to understand the biological basis of that difference. Toward that end, NIAID is funding research that tries to understand the molecular aspects of parasite/vector interactions. For example, some scientists are studying the fate of Plasmodium sexual stages in mosquitoes and the process by which the parasites may be encapsulated within the mosquito stomach. Other grantees are studying the genetic basis behind an insect's susceptibility or refractoriness to Plasmodium infection. Others are interested in identifying the mechanism by which the parasite invades the salivary gland of the mosquito, which enables the parasite to be transmitted during blood feeding.
NIAID-supported scientists are also developing and using new tools to understand how mosquitoes defend themselves from the invading parasites. Some NIAID-funded scientists are using microarray technology to understand the mosquito immune system and to determine if it can eventually be manipulated to block parasite transmission to humans.
Investigators also are looking at the ecology and behavior of mosquitoes to determine which species are attracted to humans and therefore are potential vectors, their ecological distribution and feeding behavior, and how these species identify a human host. For example, NIAID grantees are studying the relationship between vegetation and mosquito abundance in Belize; mosquito behavior and larval ecology in Kenya; the effect of rice irrigation on malaria prevalence in Mali; and how mining and deforestation are leading to the emergence of important new malaria foci in Brazil.
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