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Frontiers of Engineering Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2019 Symposium (2020) / Chapter Skim
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Using CRISPR to Combat Human Disease Vectors - Omar S. Akbari
Pages 35-44

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From page 35...
... VECTOR CONTROL TOOLS Chemical insecticides have historically been an important tool for mosquito control, but they have limitations, most notably their limited efficacy due to increasing vector insecticide resistance and their limited species specificity and duration. While insecticide-driven approaches have been successful in some dis 1  World Health Organization, "Vector-borne diseases," October 31, 2017 (https://www.who.int/en/ news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases)
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From page 36...
... So although irradiation-based SIT presents an environmentally friendly method of local population suppression, it is not feasible or scalable in its current form for large-scale control of mosquito populations. NOVEL VECTOR CONTROL METHODS In recent years innovative genetic vector control ­ ethods, such as the release m of insects carrying a dominant lethal (RIDL)
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From page 37...
... USING CRISPR The advent of CRISPR2 technology has excited the potential to engineer new game-changing technologies and innovative systems that can be used to control wild populations of mosquitoes. Two developments of particular interest are a self-limiting system termed ­ recision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT)
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From page 38...
... Homing-Based Gene Drives Replacement of wild insect populations with genetically modified individuals unable to transmit disease provides an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and self-perpetuating method of disease prevention. However, transgenes that mediate disease resistance to treatment (refractoriness)
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From page 39...
... When crossed, the only surviving progeny are sterile males, which can be repeatedly released as eggs into the environment, resulting in population suppression as they compete with wild males for females (A)
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From page 40...
... 2015. Suppression of a field population of Aedes aegypti in Brazil by sustained release of transgenic male mosquitoes.
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From page 41...
... 2018. Improved CRISPR-based suppression gene drives mitigate resistance and impose a large reproductive load on ­ aboratory-contained mosquito populations.
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From page 42...
... 2018. A B CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive targeting doublesex causes complete population suppression in caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.
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From page 43...
... 2008. Targeting the X chromosome during spermatogen esis induces Y chromosome transmission ratio distortion and early dominant embryo lethality in Anopheles gambiae.
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Key Terms

  • vector control
  • gene drives
  • insect technique
  • sterile insect
  • wild populations

  • aedes aegypti
  • nature biotechnology
  • human disease
  • insecticide resistance
  • population control

  • population suppression
  • sterile males
  • plos neglected
  • neglected tropical
  • plasmodium falciparum

  • insect population
  • male mosquitoes
  • tropical diseases
  • using crispr
  • wild vector

  • suppression gene
  • vector populations
  • mosquito population
  • crispr gene
  • control wild

  • mosquito populations
  • control methods
  • aedes albopictus
  • control programs
  • male fitness


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