The role of CRISPR-Cas9 in combating mosquito-borne diseases

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. As global warming increases, mosquito activity areas are expanding, alongside changes in the natural environment and the misuse of insecticides, thus further increasing mosquito resistance and exposing the world to an elevated risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

With advancements in gene editing technology, researchers are continually attempting to modify various mosquito genes and validate their functional roles with CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The authors of this article review recent applications of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing technology in mosquito-borne disease prevention and control, as well as mosquito population suppression, phenotyping, and resistance.

The development of new techniques are also discussed, such as ReMOT Control and DIPA-CRISPR, which differ from conventional embryo microinjection and should be expanded in future insect gene editing research.