In the scientific world, there is a new reason for fierce skirmishes. On the pages of the latest journal Nature, two scientists describe that they have found a cure for deadly malaria
Malaria is one of the worst diseases and infects up to 200 million people a year, among which at least 1 million children die without being able to overcome the attack. Other dangerous diseases such as measles or smallpox have long since practically disappeared into oblivion, and it seems that such a moment has come for malaria.
Malaria is spread by special mosquitoes, which carry the pathogen in themselves and transmit it when bitten. None of the invented anti-malaria remedies have had the desired effect. And now two scientists claim that they have invented a remedy that will destroy the root malaria in just a couple of years.
The trick is that in the stomachs of some mosquitoes there are special Enterobacter bacteria that inhibit the development of the malaria embryo. And now scientists are putting forward the idea of breeding genetic individuals with such bacteria, which ultimately should replace ordinary mosquitoes. Moreover, the offspring of such mosquitoes will inherit the altered genes.
“In the laboratory, the mutation has spread to more than half of the individuals in 16 generations,” says biologist Andrea Crisanti of Imperial College Britain.
Now he and other scientists are thinking about how to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild and track how they behave and whether they can become the dominant species.
Andrea Crisanti is considering other options:
1) Genetically suspend the transmission of the parasite to the victim by a mosquito bite.
2) Destroy genes in mosquitoes that urge them to bite people.
3) spoil the reproductive system of mosquitoes, so that only males are born (only females bite in mosquitoes).
However, this raises a big question. Are we ready to go too far to combat this malaria? What will happen in nature when hordes of genetic mosquito mutants rush there? How will this affect other animals and insects?
Scientist Ingeborg van Schayk, President of the Malaria Foundation and with it more than 6,000 biologists, doctors and scientists, are strongly opposed to the breeding of genetic antimalarial mosquitoes, because it is too uncertain how it will affect the environment and the living world …
"This could turn into even bigger problems for us."
Another biologist, Janet Hemingway of the University of Liverpool, dismissed fears:
“There is no logical premise that such problems would arise. And it is practically impossible that such mosquitoes will serve as catalysts for the emergence of new diseases."
Andrea Crisanti intends to conduct a risky experiment in the African savannas in the next three years, and before that in his native Italy, prepare everything for this and breed mosquitoes.
We could see the danger of rash actions in the example of the well-known pesticide DDT, introduced in the 60s to combat insect pests and which turned out to be very toxic to other animals.
“We shouldn't make a similar mistake,” say most researchers. But will these words stop enthusiasts who are trying to overcome a dangerous disease at any cost?