Scientists at Leiden University Medical Center, backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have created a technique for administering malaria vaccines through genetically altered mosquitoes.
In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists engineered malaria parasites to stop developing in humans after a certain period, allowing mosquitoes to act as “flying syringes.”
The trial involved 43 healthy adults aged 19 to 35, divided into three groups. Two groups received 50 bites each from mosquitoes carrying modified parasites, GA1 or GA2, while a third group received bites from uninfected mosquitoes as a placebo.
After three vaccination sessions, participants were exposed to malaria. Results showed 8 of 9 in the GA2 group were protected, compared to 1 of 8 in the GA1 group and none in the placebo group.
These mosquitoes deliver altered malaria parasites directly into the bloodstream, teaching the immune system to fight the disease without causing a full infection, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
This innovative approach has faced ethical concerns regarding informed consent and safety, which have previously limited its development.
