Wednesday, March 24, 2010

genetically engineered mosqutioes to cure malaria

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/japan.malaria.mosquitoe.vaccine/index.html?iref=allsearch

Scientists are working on a new development which may help stop the disease malaria commonly associated with mosquito bites. Oddly enough this cure would be made by a vaccine within a mosquito itself. Scientists have engineered a super mosquito that may hold that vaccine for malaria.
"Researchers altered the salivary glands of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito, dubbed a "flying vaccinator," so that it carried the Leishmania vaccine within its saliva. " When lab mice were bitten by the new super mosquitoes, antibodies in the mice were raised indicating successful immunization. This could be an amazing breakthrough, because putting a stop to this disease would put an end to the 250 million people annually infected with malaria, in which roughly one million people die, per year.

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