Health. Malaria: Is our blood a weapon against mosquitoes thanks to a drug?

Currently, several methods are used to reduce mosquito numbers and the risk of malaria. One of these involves the use of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug. When mosquitoes ingest blood containing this substance, their lifespan is reduced, which helps reduce the spread of malaria.

Problems: Ivermectin is non-biodegradable. It is relatively persistent in the body and the environment, and its excessive use leads to resistance.

Nitisinone: a promising alternative

A study published in Science Translational Medicine has just identified an interesting alternative: lanitisinone. This drug is usually prescribed to people suffering from rare hereditary diseases such as alkaptonuria (a disease that affects the metabolism of certain amino acids).

Among its actions, nitisinone blocks a key enzyme, HPPD, preventing mosquitoes from properly digesting human blood. This blockage quickly leads to the insects' death. Tests conducted on female mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae , the main vectors of malaria in Africa, have confirmed its effectiveness.

" One way to stop the spread of insect-borne diseases is to make the blood of animals and humans toxic to these blood-sucking insects , explains Lee R. Haines of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and co-author of the study. Our results suggest that the use of nitisinone could be a promising new complementary tool to combat insect-borne diseases such as malaria .

An ecological advantage

Better still, nitisinone is more effective than ivermectin. It persists longer in human blood and is effective against mosquitoes of all ages – including older ones, which are most likely to transmit malaria – but also against mosquitoes resistant to traditional insecticides.

" The performance of nitisinone was fantastic ," said Álvaro Acosta Serrano, co-author of the study. It has a much longer half-life (the time it takes for a substance to lose half of its active capacity, editor's note) in human blood than ivermectin, which means that its anti-mosquito activity remains in circulation in the human body for much longer. "

The research team is now planning field trials to determine optimal dosages. They also highlight the ecological advantage of this drug, which specifically targets blood-sucking insects.