Scientists have discovered a naturally occurring type of bacteria that can prevent malaria transmission from mosquitos to humans. After a colony of mosquitoes failed to establish the malaria parasite in one trial, the bacteria were identified by coincidence. According to the researchers, the bacteria can serve as a new instrument for eradicating one of the world’s oldest diseases, which claims the lives of more than 600,000 people each year. The finding was made by scientists at a GSK pharmaceutical company-run research centre in Spain when they noticed that a colony of mosquitoes employed for medication development had stopped the transmission of malaria.
“The infection rate in the mosquitoes started dwindling and so by the end of the year the mosquitoes just would not be infected with the malaria parasite,” said Dr Janneth Rodrigues, who headed the program, while speaking to BBC. The team’s 2014 experiment materials were frozen and returned to them after two years, allowing them to make the new discovery. The investigations also demonstrated that a specific strain of bacteria – TC1 – found naturally in the environment had prevented the development of malaria parasites in the guts of mosquitos. “Once it colonizes the mosquito, it lasts for the entire lifespan,” said Dr Rodrigues to BBC. “And we found out that, yes, it is the bacteria which was responsible for reducing transmission in those mosquitoes,” he added.
The bacteria work by secreting a tiny chemical known as harmane, which suppresses the early stages of the malaria
The bacterium, according to recent research published in Science magazine, can reduce a mosquito’s parasite load by up to 73%. The bacteria work by secreting a tiny chemical known as harmane, which suppresses the early stages of the malaria parasite’s growth in the mosquito’s gut. GSK scientists discovered, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, that harmane can be taken orally by the mosquito if mixed with sugar, or is absorbed via its cuticle on touch.
More studies are now being conducted at the MosquitoSphere enclosed field research facility in Burkina Faso to see how safe and effective harmane is in the real world. Gareth Jenkins, a member of the organization Malaria No More, believes the latest discovery is promising. “Malaria kills a child every minute. Significant progress has been made in reducing the global burden of malaria, but to get us back on track we need new and innovative tools in the arsenal. With a strong innovation pipeline, it is possible to end the threat of malaria in our lifetimes,” he said.
