Washington: Researchers could be turning the mosquito bite into a tool to wipe out the deadly disease malaria.
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), established with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be collaborating with Tulane University in the US to produce and test a novel vaccine that aims to inoculate mosquitoes when they bite people.
The vaccine would work by triggering an immune response in people so they produce antibodies that target a protein the malaria parasite needs to reproduce within a mosquito.
Malaria, which kills nearly 800,000 people every year worldwide, is caused by a microscopic parasite that alternates between human and mosquito hosts at various stages of its lifecycle, according to an MVI statement.
Once a mosquito bites a vaccinated person, the antibodies would neutralize the protein essential for malaria parasite’s reproduction, effectively blocking the parasite’s — and the mosquito’s — ability to infect others.
The vaccine relies on a protein — known as Pfs48/45 — which is very difficult to synthetically produce, says Nirbhay Kumar, professor of tropical medicine at Tulane University.
“We’re investing in developing transmission blocking malaria vaccines to support two long-term goals — introducing an 80 percent efficacious malaria vaccine by the year 2025 and eventually eradicating malaria altogether,” says MVI director Christian Loucq.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription