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May 24 2025
2A major breakthrough in the global fight against malaria has emerged from a collaborative study published in Nature, revealing a novel method to combat the disease by targeting the parasite within mosquitoes rather than the insects themselves. The research introduces a promising innovation: bed nets infused with experimental drugs known as endochin-like quinolones, or ELQs, which eliminate the malaria parasite inside mosquitoes even if they are resistant to conventional insecticides.
Led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the study presents a new approach that could transform malaria prevention. The ELQ compounds were developed by Michael Riscoe, Ph.D., a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at OHSU. These drugs were then tested in the lab of senior study author Flaminia Catteruccia, Ph.D., Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard.
Catteruccia's team screened 81 different compounds for their ability to block the malaria parasite’s development inside mosquitoes. Two ELQ candidates stood out for their effectiveness and stability, even when applied to netting materials similar to those used in household bed nets.
"It was an ingenious idea by Dr. Catteruccia and her team to explore whether mosquitoes would absorb antimalarial compounds through contact with treated nets," Riscoe said. "The results clearly show that the drugs successfully eliminate the parasites, rather than the mosquitoes themselves."
The findings come at a critical time. Although malaria cases had been declining for years, recent progress has slowed due to widespread resistance to insecticides among mosquito populations. In 2023 alone, there were 263 million new cases and over 500,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide.
“Insecticide resistance has become alarmingly common in malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, threatening the efficacy of our most trusted control tools,” noted Alexandra Probst, M.Pharm, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. candidate in Catteruccia’s lab. “By targeting the parasite directly within the mosquito, we bypass this resistance and retain the ability to reduce transmission.”
The research demonstrated that infected mosquitoes landing on ELQ-treated materials absorbed the drug through their legs, effectively clearing the parasites from their systems. Notably, the treatment maintained its potency over time and proved effective even against insecticide-resistant mosquito strains.
Mike Rubal, Ph.D., a contributor from the Southwest Research Institute, likened the nets to disinfectants. “When an infected mosquito comes into contact with the treated netting, it absorbs the drug and the parasites are destroyed,” he explained.
The team is now preparing to test these ELQ-treated nets in real-world conditions, with field trials expected to begin later this year.
“This strategy has enormous potential to curb malaria transmission,” Riscoe said. “It could become an essential component of global eradication efforts, especially as traditional tools lose their edge.”
Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-malaria-source-drug-nets-parasites.html
This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.
