A new study from Leiden University Medical Center demonstrates the effectiveness of using genetically modified mosquitoes to deliver malaria vaccines. The 'flying vaccinators' carry modified parasites that stimulate the immune system without causing illness.
Researchers at Leiden University Medical Center , supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have developed a novel method for delivering malaria vaccines using genetically modified mosquitoes as 'flying vaccinators.' Scientists have demonstrated the effectiveness of employing mosquitoes as 'flying syringes' to vaccinate humans against malaria.
The research, conducted at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands, involved genetically modifying malaria parasites to cease development after a specific duration in the human body. The modified parasites, designated GA1 and GA2, were engineered to stimulate the immune system without causing a full-blown malaria infection. Researchers infected mosquitoes with these engineered parasites and allowed them to bite human test subjects in a controlled environment. In the trial, 43 adults aged 19 to 35 with no prior history of malaria infection were divided into three groups. The first group received 50 bites from mosquitoes infected with the GA2 parasite, the second group received 50 bites from mosquitoes infected with the GA1 parasite, and the third group, serving as a placebo, received 50 bites from uninfected mosquitoes. Participants underwent three vaccination sessions at 28-day intervals. Three weeks after the final vaccination session, the human test subjects were exposed to malaria infection via bites from infected mosquitoes. The results revealed that eight out of nine participants in the GA2 group were effectively protected against malaria, while only one out of eight in the GA1 group and none in the placebo group received protection. The concept of utilizing mosquitoes as 'flying vaccinators' has been explored by scientists for years. In 2010, Japanese researcher Shigeto Yoshida modified mosquito saliva to deliver leishmania vaccines to mice, noting that vaccination by insect could be painless and cost-effective
Malaria Vaccination Mosquitoes Genetically Modified Leiden University Medical Center
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