A genetic technology called a gene drive has shown promise in preventing malaria transmission by mosquitoes during lab tests in Tanzania. Researchers modified local mosquitoes to produce antimalarial proteins, demonstrating effective inhibition of parasites from infected children. The findings suggest the approach could work in the field if released.
Scientists have advanced a strategy to combat malaria using gene drives, which bias inheritance to spread specific genes through mosquito populations. In a secure lab at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, researchers led by George Christophides from Imperial College London and Dickson Lwetoijera modified Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the primary malaria vector in the region.
The gene drive incorporates genes for two small proteins—one from honeybees and one from the African clawed frog—that disrupt malaria parasite development. These proteins are produced after the mosquito feeds on blood, thanks to linkage with a digestive enzyme gene, and are secreted into the gut. Earlier work by Christophides in 2022 identified these proteins using outdated lab strains, but the new tests used fresh parasites from infected children and local mosquitoes.
Results confirmed robust suppression of parasite growth and reliable gene copying, even though the drive components were kept separate to prevent uncontrolled spread. "So we are now able to say that this technology could work in the field," Christophides stated.
The next phase involves releasing modified mosquitoes on an island in Lake Victoria to observe their wild behavior. The team is consulting local communities and conducting risk assessments, with Lwetoijera noting, "To date, the political and public support has remained positive."
Christophides envisions the drive eliminating malaria in areas dominated by A. gambiae, calling it "a game-changing technology" that "may turn the tide." Unlike current modified mosquito releases requiring massive ongoing efforts, gene drives could self-propagate. Other teams are developing similar tools for malaria and pest control, with the study published in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09685-6).