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"We were impressed and amazed by the fact that drugs designed to reduce human appetite could perfectly suppress the appetite of mosquitoes," said study author Leslie Vosshall in a statement.
Scientists have conducted experiments on Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes, which require human blood to produce the protein they need to produce their eggs. This species is responsible for the spread of yellow fever, dengue and Zika virus.
However, researchers noted that once these mosquitoes have fed on human blood and swelled, their appeal to humans declines for several days.
"It's like the ultimate dinner of Thanskgiving," said Laura Duvall, author of the study.
The team of researchers at Rockefeller University in New York has focused its research on Neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors, which regulate food intake in humans.
Scientists gave mosquitoes a saline solution containing drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry to activate and inhibit these receptors in humans, and found that appetite and attraction insects for humans were decreasing sharply.
They measured this by hanging a nylon stockings previously worn by Duvall long enough for body odor to be absorbed, and observing if mosquitoes were flying towards him. They also tested mosquitoes on mice to see if they would bite a live host, Duvall told CNN.
Scientists tested the 49 NPY receptors in mosquitoes with the drugs to determine which one was responsible for controlling appetite. They also conducted extensive tests on thousands of compounds to determine which ones could directly target mosquitoes rather than impact humans as well.
James Logan, head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, described the discovery of this potential new technology as "exciting" and "intriguing".
"One of the biggest problems we have with the fight against mosquito-borne diseases is mosquito resistance to insecticides," he told CNN.
"A compound with a new mode of action preventing mosquito feeding could be useful if it is effective, logistically feasible, and sustainable in the field."
Logan warned, however, that "a lot of work remains to be done before it can be deployed in the field".
Paul Reiter, a former professor of medical entomology at the Institut Pasteur, also told CNN that the proposed method was a "fascinating idea" and "very plausible".
He stressed that new ideas on how to fight mosquitoes are absolutely necessary, as scientists are currently "useless" to stop the spread of diseases such as dengue fever. He noted, however, that methods of transferring drugs to mosquitoes are "not very easy", but suggested that "sugar-based baits" could be a solution.
Leo Braack, a leading vector control specialist at the Malaria Consortium, said the findings "represent a new direction for dealing with mosquito vectors of disease and their human hosts" and transmitted infections. "
Braack added that "many things remain to be clarified and require additional research.
"How, for example, do these mosquitoes with reduced food capacity compete with other wild individuals by producing eggs and small ones … that require frequent blood meals?"
Scientists in the study also noted that initial research could provide a "new approach to controlling the transmission of infectious diseases," but that limitations remained.
Researchers know what drugs activate the NPY receptors of mosquitoes in the lab, but they do not know what natural neuropeptides produce in the wild, Duvall said. The researchers nevertheless deciphered a list of nine potential neuropeptides.
Scientists must also continue their research to determine where receptors are produced by mosquitoes and how they can be activated naturally.
A technique should also be developed to successfully transfer drugs into mosquitoes in the wild.
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