African Scientist's Breakthrough: Eradicating Malaria Through Mosquito DNA Editing
Burkina Faso scientist, Abdoulaye Diabate, pioneers a groundbreaking genetic modification technique to potentially eradicate malaria by editing mosquito DNA, offering hope in the fight against this deadly disease
Abdoulaye Diabate experienced a severe case of malaria at the age of five, which nearly took his life. Unfortunately, his three and four-year-old cousins did not survive. Today, Diabate, now leading medical entomology and parasitology at Burkina Faso's Research Institute in Health Sciences, is working on a groundbreaking technique to potentially eradicate malaria-transmitting mosquito species by modifying their genes.
The scientist and professor from Burkina Faso has been recognized with the 2023 Falling Walls Prize for Science and Innovation Management for his groundbreaking research in malaria control. Diabate, the sole African recipient among this year's 10 global winners, was lauded by the Falling Walls Foundation for his pioneering genetic solutions to malaria.
The Falling Walls Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering breakthrough thinking.
A leading cause of death
Malaria is a major contributor to mortality in Diabates country, with almost all of its 22 million residents, particularly children, being vulnerable to the disease, as reported by the World Health Organization. In 2021, malaria claimed the lives of close to 19,000 individuals in Burkina Faso, according to the latest data from the WHO regional office for Africa.
Malaria is a leading cause of death in the broader African region, bearing the highest burden of malaria in the world. Over the years, efforts to control malaria, such as the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, have successfully decreased transmission and mortality rates in affected nations.
However, according to the WHO, "malaria deaths remain at unacceptably high levels, and cases have continued to increase since 2015." The organization added that the increase in infections was attributed to the rising cost of interventions as well as "biological threats" that contribute to drug resistance and help vector mosquitoes develop immunity to insecticides.
This 2014 photo released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts a female Anopheles funestus mosquito in the process of feeding. This species is a recognized carrier of malaria, a parasitic disease that claimed the lives of over 620,000 individuals in 2020 and affected 241 million cases, with the majority occurring in children under 5 in Africa. (James Gathany/CDC via AP)
Kenyas hard won gains against malaria threatened by surging temperatures
Malaria killed an estimated 619,000 people globally in 2021, according to WHOs last published data.
Approximately 96% of these fatalities occurred in Africa, with the health organization noting that 80% of the victims on the continent were children under 5 years old. Diabate informed CNN that developing innovative tools for controlling malaria was the key to defeating the disease.
"The efficacy of bed nets is commendable, but the widespread insecticide resistance in various mosquito species, especially those responsible for transmitting malaria, poses a significant challenge," he stated. "Conventional tools are struggling to combat malaria due to this issue. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on innovation and develop new tools to work in tandem with existing ones. Otherwise, defeating malaria will be an insurmountable task."
The game changer
Diabate said he is optimistic that his vector control tool for malaria - described as "gene drive technology" - could be the "game-changer" when rolled out.
Female Anopheles mosquitoes, infected with malaria, transmit the disease through their bites. However, male mosquitoes do not bite and therefore cannot transmit malaria. Gene drive technology aims to prevent the transmission of malaria by releasing gene-edited sterile male mosquitoes into the environment, which prevents female mosquito species from producing new female offspring.
Diabate explained that releasing the gene-edited mosquitoes into the field would lead to the depletion of the female mosquito population and the immediate halt of malaria transmission. He stated that this gene drive method is a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to controlling malaria.
Genetically modified mosquitoes can take on the task for you, unlike other malaria control methods that require human intervention. This technology we are developing is cost-effective, sustainable, and can be used in remote and challenging areas in Africa. Once it is ready and proven effective, it could be a game-changer.
Diabate stated that it could take several more years to implement gene drive technology in Africa. In 2019, Diabate's research alliance, Target Malaria, carried out the initial phase of the project by introducing Africa's first group of genetically modified mosquitoes in Bana, a village in Western Burkina Faso.
More than 14,000 sterile male mosquitoes were released on the same day as part of a controlled release, as reported by Target Malaria. Following the release, 527 of the mosquitoes were recaptured after 20 days. The research alliance stated in a blog post that while the release was not intended to impact malaria transmission, it was a crucial step in gathering information, building knowledge, and developing local skills. The analysis and data collected are providing valuable insights that are already being utilized in the next phases of the research.
In 2013, Oxitec, a US biotech company, created genetically modified mosquitoes that carry a lethal gene, specifically targeting the female Aedes aegypti mosquito responsible for spreading yellow fever, dengue, and Zika viruses. Similar projects have also focused on altering the DNA of mosquitoes.
The offspring of gene-modified female mosquitoes do not survive to adulthood, and in 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency introduced an X-ray powered technique to sterilize male mosquitoes in Latin America and the Caribbean. This technique is intended to decrease the population of female mosquitoes that carry and transmit the Zika virus.
Diabates research appears to be among the first using gene editing to target male mosquitoes.
Ecological concerns
Health authorities in countries outside Burkina Faso have expressed their approval of the Diabates gene drive technology, but there are lingering concerns about its potential environmental impact once it is fully implemented.
Lumbani Munthali, a program manager for Malawi's National Malaria Control Program, stated to CNN that while gene drive technology is seen as "a beneficial innovation that is timely," there are uncertainties surrounding its ecological effects.
Every living creature, even if it appears dangerous or harmful to humans, fulfills important tasks in its habitat.
Save our Seeds, German-based advocacy group
"The modification of genetic materials through gene drive technology makes it impossible to predict the new vector and its potential impact on the environment or ecology," said a spokesperson. "This is a concern that researchers must address." Save Our Seeds (SOS), a German advocacy group, has actively opposed gene drive technology, stating that its effects on ecosystems are unpredictable.
SOS emphasized on its website that "every living creature, even if it appears dangerous or harmful to humans, fulfills important tasks in its habitat." "The extermination or even manipulation of a species will therefore have consequences for the entire ecosystem," it added.
Mosquito insect sitting on skin
nataba/Adobe Stock
Should we really consider using gene editing to eradicate mosquitoes, despite the fact that they are a crucial food source for various animals, as demonstrated in a nature reserve in southern France where their decline resulted in reduced bird and dragonfly populations?
Diabate informed CNN that the project's development process will take into consideration "specific concerns" about gene drive technology.
CNN has reached out to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their input on the safety of gene drive technology.
Diabate shared that he has devoted his life to combatting malaria, which has had a significant impact on his personal life.
"It has affected every part of my life, from nearly losing my life to the disease as a young child to caring for my loved ones whenever they fall ill. This is why I have chosen to commit myself to fighting this disease, which hinders the progress of Africa and jeopardizes the future of countless African individuals," he explained.
