Scientists have made a fortuitous discovery of a naturally occurring strain of bacteria that has the potential to halt the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans. The bacteria came to light when a colony of mosquitoes being used for drug development did not develop the malaria parasite in an experiment.
This breakthrough has been hailed as a new tool in the fight against one of the world’s oldest diseases, which claims the lives of over 600,000 people each year. The research was conducted at a facility in Spain run by the GSK pharmaceutical company, where the scientists observed a decline in the infection rate of mosquitoes, ultimately leading to the complete prevention of malaria transmission.
Frozen samples from the 2014 experiment were revisited two years later, leading to the identification of a specific strain of naturally occurring bacteria called TC1, which effectively halted the development of malaria parasites in the mosquitoes’ gut throughout their entire lifespan. The research, published in Science magazine, revealed that the bacteria reduced a mosquito’s parasite load by approximately 73 percent.
The bacteria’s mechanism of action involves secreting a small molecule called harmane, which inhibits the early stages of malaria parasite growth in the mosquito’s gut. Further studies conducted by GSK in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that harmane can be ingested orally by mosquitoes when mixed with sugar or absorbed through their cuticle upon contact.
Currently, trials are underway at a contained field research facility called MosquitoSphere in Burkina Faso to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of using harmane in real-world scenarios. Gareth Jenkins, associated with the charity Malaria No More, expressed optimism about the new discovery’s potential impact on combatting malaria, given the disease’s devastating toll on human lives.
Malaria is responsible for claiming a child’s life every minute, but significant progress has been made in reducing its global burden. This new innovation represents a promising addition to the arsenal against malaria, and with a strong innovation pipeline, there is hope that the threat of malaria can be eradicated within our lifetimes.
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