A new study has revealed the secret to controlling malaria menace by restricting the delivery of a male hormone inside the female body of malaria causing species, Anopheles gambiae.
The study led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and University of Perugia (UNIPG) researchers has shown that blocking egg development in the mosquito species could help reduce transmission of the disease.
The researchers studied the interaction between a steroid hormone called 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20E), which is transferred from the male to the female mosquito during mating, and a female Mating-Induced Stimulator of Oogenesis (MISO).
They found out that MISO protein and 20E interacted in the female mosquito”s reproductive tract, which boosts the accumulation of lipids in the ovaries, leading to a more rapid and higher production of eggs.
The researchers used chemical techniques to suppress MISO”s functioning in female mosquitoes and found that doing so reduced egg development.
Malaria has been the leading cause of death in tropical and subtropical regions.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, malaria claims nearly 660,000 lives per year.
This new finding holds promise for the development of new tools for controlling malaria-transmitting mosquito populations, the researchers said. (ANI)