researchers
Supported by the Bill Gates Foundation Leiden University Medical Center Dutch researchers have joined an international effort to turn mosquitoes into flying syringes. According to research published Late last month, in the New England Journal of Medicine, they described an effective way to harness mosquitoes to provide some protection against malaria for unsuspecting humans, and perhaps in the future, other payloads as well. It seems that you have discovered.
Scientists have been toying with the idea of turning mosquitoes into “flying vaccinators” for years.[s]. ”
Mr. Shigeto Yoshida
2010 survey They modified the mosquito's saliva so that it could administer the Leishmania vaccine to mice as it sucked blood. noticed Insect vaccination is “same as traditional vaccination, but less painful and less expensive.”
“Furthermore, continuous exposure to bites maintains a high level of protective immunity throughout life through natural reinforcement, thus transforming this insect from a pest to a beneficial insect,” Yoshida added.
Despite the Japanese geneticist's optimism, his research “concerns about medical safety issues and informed consent have led to concerns about the use of 'flying vaccinators' as a method of administering vaccines.” “will be eased.”
Robert Sinden, Emeritus Professor of Parasite Cell Biology at Imperial College London, said:
said The science at the time was that there was no way to not only vaccinate people without informed consent, but also no regulatory authority to approve the effort.
The issue of informed consent, while clearly an ongoing problem for elements of the scientific community, has clearly not been sufficient to prevent the continued development of flying vaccinators. For example, Hiroyuki Matsuoka of Jichi Medical University in Japan said, announced It is with the help of 2008 Gates Foundation Grant,he, It produces malaria vaccine proteins and secretes them into the host's skin.
In 2022, Sean Murphy and his team at the University of Washington demonstrated the feasibility of that idea.
test They administered a mosquito-borne malaria vaccine to humans, establishing what they called a “proof of concept” for the technology.
“The parasite dies before it can infect blood cells and enter the lethal stage.”
Concerned about the short lifespan and modest efficacy of malaria vaccines currently approved by the World Health Organization, Dutch researchers at LUMC are similarly considering genetically modified parasites and mosquito bites as potential alternatives. We focused on the vector virus.
In a previous trial, researchers tested the effectiveness of a malaria parasite called GA1, which has been genetically engineered to stop developing symptoms about 24 hours after infecting humans, but found that it provided little protection against malaria. did. Hoping for better results, the researchers created another parasite, GA2, that stops developing about six days after invasion in a preclinical humanized mouse model.
Bill Gates-backed Gavi, also known as the Vaccine Alliance,
noticed “The parasite dies before it can infect blood cells and evolve into a lethal stage, so it instead acts like a regular vaccination as a way to stimulate the immune system.”
In a study group of 43 adults between the ages of 19 and 35 with no previous record of malaria infection, the researchers asked participants to receive 50 bites from GA2-infected mosquitoes, 50 bites from GA1-infected mosquitoes, or 50 bites from uninfected mosquitoes. I was stabbed 50 times. (placebo), 3 vaccination sessions 28 days apart. Three weeks after the third mosquito bite, the subject was bitten five times by an infected mosquito and developed a malaria infection.
According to the study, eight out of nine participants in the GA2 group received effective prophylaxis against malaria infection. Only one of the eight participants in the GA1 group received protection, while none of the participants in the placebo group received protection.
Dutch researchers are now trying to reproduce their results in a large-scale human clinical trial.
“These findings represent an important step forward in malaria vaccine development,” said Julius Hafala, an immunologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
said Nature. “As the global burden of malaria continues, developing more effective vaccines has become a key priority.”
Leiden University Medical Center received A $1,578,317 grant from the Gates Foundation in September 2023 aimed to understand “demographic and geographic factors that influence malaria vaccine response in malaria-endemic countries.” At the center in November received The Gates Foundation's grant aims to “improve the health and prevent premature death of people around the world who suffer from high rates of malaria infection by developing the next generation of malaria vaccine candidates.”
Bill Gates has demonstrated a desire to shape things both directly and through his foundation. public health, news landscape, Educational policy, A.I.insect populations, American farmland, energy sector, foreign policy,and the earth itself.
Mr. Gates, who? raised the issue In an interview with MSNBC in January 2021, he said the content included a recommendation to “not trust advice about masks and vaccinations.” poured billions of dollars into For malaria vaccine research. he noticed “Malaria is caused by an incredibly adaptable parasite that is constantly changing and developing resistance to our drugs and interventions. Fighting malaria is a high-stakes endeavor,” he wrote in an August blog. It's like playing that global game of whack-a-mole. If you can control it, it will show up in a different place or in a new form.”
Gates also said it was important to leverage existing interventions while “laying the foundations for a malaria-free future.” Gates says that future may depend on the use of mRNA vaccines or the genetic modification of mosquito populations.
According to this utopian billionaire, “One of our biggest challenges is not scientific, but financial and political.”
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