Malaria Proof Mosquito Created

Twisp · #1 08-05-2010, 07:05 AM

This is a little old, but cool nonetheless. Is this "playing God" as Newsweek put it in this week's issue, or just science making the world a little better? Could this be the next step to the turtle unicorn that I so desperately want?

A "malaria-proof" mosquito has been created by scientists who have engineered a genetic "on" switch that permanently activates a malaria-destroying response, according to their report in the journal Public Library of Science Pathogens.

If these mosquitoes are successfully introduced into the wild, they could prevent millions of people from becoming infected with life-threatening Plasmodium -- the parasite that causes malaria.

"We were surprised how well this works," said Michael Riehle, a professor at the University of Arizona and a co-author of the new PLoS Pathogens paper. "We were just hoping to see some effect on the mosquitoes' growth rate, lifespan or their susceptibility to the parasite. But it was great to see that our construct blocked the infection process completely."

An estimated 250 million people are infected by the four kinds of Plasmodium each year, but each infection comes from female Anopheles mosquitoes. While sucking blood to feed her brood, the mosquito ingests an average of 40 Plasmodium parasites.

The parasites develop on the mosquitoes mid-gut, while the insect's immune system does its best to thin the herd. A few parasites escape and eventually migrate to the mosquito's salivary glands, where they sit, ready to infect the next unfortunate victim.

The scientists focused on the parasites as they develop by targeting the Akt gene. Previous studies have shown that Akt affects a mosquito's longevity, immune system and digestion -- all of which could affect the bug's susceptibility to malaria.

As a result, the team engineered a special version of the Akt gene into the eggs of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.

After infecting the mosquitoes with Plasmodium parasites and allowing them to develop, the scientists examined the mosquitoes. They found no trace of the malaria parasites in mosquitoes that had the amped up version of Akt.

Exactly how Akt eliminates malaria in mosquitoes is unknown.

Older mosquitoes are more likely to carry malaria than younger mosquitoes, and Akt mosquitoes die sooner. That suggests age might be a factor.

The mosquito's immune system naturally destroys many malaria parasites so it stands to reason that a beefed up immune system could destroy all of the parasites. The mosquito's digestive system could also simply consume the parasites as it digests its blood meal.

"What they've done is take a key point in the insulin signaling pathway, and expressed an active form of it in the gut," said Mark Brown, a doctor at the University of Georgia who is familiar with the new research. Akt, said Brown, "could be activated at any step along that process."

Regardless of how Akt works, it won't be working for any mosquitoes in the wild any time soon.

"We are at least a decade away from actually releasing mosquitoes into the wild," said Riehle. The engineered mosquitoes could mate with wild mosquitoes, but that the team still needs a more effective way to drive the inserted genes through the entire population.

Research labs across the world are trying to solve that exact problem, but so far no solution has been developed.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/malar...-mosquito.html

Digging4Truth · #2 08-05-2010, 07:32 AM

Yep. It's playing God in my opinion. When you tinker with nature to bring out a good outcome rarely do you escape without an unintended consequence.

geekette · #3 08-05-2010, 07:43 AM

I don't know that this is such a good idea. I'd be concerned about unintended side effects. It's kind of like introducing a plant species for one reason and then discovering it's hugely invasive (example: kudzu). There are too many unknowns.

Digging4Truth · #4 08-05-2010, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekette

I don't know that this is such a good idea. I'd be concerned about unintended side effects. It's kind of like introducing a plant species for one reason and then discovering it's hugely invasive (example: kudzu). There are too many unknowns.

Indeed... while not in the intended context... it brings a scripture to mind.

Professing themselves to be wise they became fools

crakjak · #5 08-05-2010, 07:45 AM

This is very interesting. I am currently reading, "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough, the history of the building of the Panama Canal. The French began the work, in the mid 1800's failed in a large part due to disease, Yellow Fever and Malaria being among the major. The US with President Teddy Roosevelt supported the independence of Panama, bought the French works, and succeeded in a large part because of one doctor that insisted the these diseases were spread by mosquitoes. By allowing the doctor to use huge manpower to isolate the type mosquito that was the carrier, literately wiped out Yellow Fever and Malaria in the canal zone. The poor black laborers, continued to have problems with these diseases, because they refused to implement the tasks to keep the mosquitoes away from their living quarters. I'm sure other factors also contributed to their higher mortality rate.

Is it playing God, absolutely not, it is glorifing to God for man to seek out solutions to the evil that exists in the world. When our expertise and labors find answers that are for GOOD, especially.

crakjak · #6 08-05-2010, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Indeed... while not in the intended context... it brings a scripture to mind.

Professing themselves to be wise they became fools

Yep, there were those during the rage of Yellow Fever and Malaria, that opposed the efforts of the scientist that believed mosquitoes were the carriers. It would be a sad world if everyone just accepted every result of the curse in the earth, without opposing it with every path possible.

We are to work, to control the effects of the curse, we kill weeds, we control insects and animals that are dangerous to our existence. To destroy mosquitoes ability to spread malaria is no different. Yes, we also have to resolve the side effects of such efforts. This earth is terribly flawed due to sin and we have to do what we can to keep it inhabitable until the full redemption.

A side note: We don't really understand today what even our founding fathers of this country endured. Yellow Fever and Malaria killed hundreds if not thousands every summer in the cities of early America, it was a terrible scourge. And is was simply the natural (cursed) life cycle of the Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes that spread these diseases. Wipe out this particular mosquito and you wipe out these diseases.

Digging4Truth · #7 08-05-2010, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crakjak

Yep, there were those during the rage of Yellow Fever and Malaria, that opposed the efforts of the scientist that believed mosquitoes were the carriers. It would be a sad world if everyone just accepted every result of the curse in the earth, without opposing it with every path possible.

We are to work, to control the effects of the curse, we kill weeds, we control insects and animals that are dangerous to our existence. To destroy mosquitoes ability to spread malaria is no different. Yes, we also have to resolve the side effects of such efforts. This earth is terribly flawed due to sin and we have to do what we can to keep it inhabitable until the full redemption.

A side note: We don't really understand today what even our founding fathers of this country endured. Yellow Fever and Malaria killed hundreds if not thousands every summer in the cities of early America, it was a terrible scourge. And is was simply the natural (cursed) life cycle of the Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes that spread these diseases. Wipe out this particular mosquito and you wipe out these diseases.

Just a side question...

Are you also for the genetic modification of food plants to fight various diseases the plant might be vulnerable to?

MomOfADramaQn · #8 08-05-2010, 08:13 AM

If you use the argument that it is playing God or tinkering with nature - then humans should never take any type of medication even though it has saves lives. Taking prescribed medications also sometimes has a negative outcome. I had a 2 year old cousin whose parents are on the mission field in Africa die from malaria. So before you are so quick to be critical of this, what if it were you 2 year old child that was about to die-what would your opinion be?

*AQuietPlace* · #9 08-05-2010, 08:20 AM

If they're going to re-design mosquitoes, why don't they design one that doesn't like to bite people, period?

crakjak · #10 08-05-2010, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Just a side question...

Are you also for the genetic modification of food plants to fight various diseases the plant might be vulnerable to?

I agree that these things must be done very carefully, if at all. Genetic tinkering on humans or the human food supply is the area, that I have the most difficulty with. It is one thing to tinker with the mosquito, quite another on the human.

Man has discovered a new frontier in genetics, and as history will show, man will not be deterred from new frontiers. What will be the results? Maybe after some trial and error, man will discover some great things for the betterment of the world? Where will God draw the line? Or will He draw a line? I don't know, except that I believe deep in man is a desire to find the redemption that God has in store for the universe. Will God penalize man for seeking? No, I believe He will eventually present what man desires and cannot attain with only human effort.