October 22, 2007
Potential Malaria Vaccine
A vaccine for the terrible disease Malaria may come from a very strange source indeed, mosquitoes! It is well known that the Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, so what is researcher Stefan Kappe from the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute doing infecting them with malaria causing parasites?
The parasites have had some of their genes altered; this is so they cannot breed in humans. However the parasites are then made to infect the millions of mosquitoes that are being bred at the university.
Once infected the parasites are allowed to breed the mosquitoes are killed and dissected, the scientists are after the salivary glands which should be where the richest source of parasite should be found, from here Kappe expects to be able to create a vaccine.
It would be great if he succeeds.
Source [Economist]
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