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Thursday, March 29, 2007
-7:03 AM
Science and Technology
Malaria
A shift of perspective
Long since has the human race bemoaned its fate of being saddled with pesky, yet deadly, mosquitoes that herald malaria - and possible death. But using the forefront of new research, is it possible to turn this enemy into an ally?
Researchers at the John Hopkins University are experimenting with ways to turn the situation on its head, by harnessing the deadliness of the Anopheles mosquito against itself. Scientists have discovered a gene (termed SM1) that grants the mosquito immunity against the malaria parasite. Their plan is to breed mosquitoes with this gene, and turn them loose into the wild. Through preliminary tests, it has been determined that SM1 is not only protective, it also confers an evolutionary advantage on the mosquito.
But this remains in the realm of uncertainty. There are indeed many pros and cons on both sides of the coin. But after careful consideration, this writer retains the stand of opposing such genetic tampering.
Introducing a different species into the wild has always been a bad idea; tried and (unfortunately) tested too many times. Take for instance the dingo, brought from Britain and allowed to rampage in Australia. Countless native animals died as a result of the sudden presence of a predator, and it was years before a semblance of ecological balance was finally achieved. How, then, are we to be sure that the presence of breeded mosquitoes will not result in just such a form of disequilibrium?
The presence of 'natural selection' exists for an important purpose as well: to weed out certain genes that are detetrimental to the survival of the organism - as well as the survival of the ecosystem. Thus, it logically follows that the SM1 gene is only present in a certain percentage of the population for a reason. By releasing such mosquitoes into the wild without prior experience, is there not a strong possibility that we might have overlooked something, failed to discover something - something that might turn out to have even greater repurcussions?
Another point worthy of note is that such a solution could turn out to be a short-term one. The malarial parasite, threatened by a lack of hosts, may simply turn to another carrier to transmit itself (such as rats, fleas, ticks etc.) Even worse, it may mutate to become immune to the SM1 gene, thus becoming even more virulent. An example is the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which mutated after too much contact with penicillin, thus becoming far more difficult to combat. We have no guarantee, then, that the malarial parasite will not evolve to become deadlier - by the result of our human intervention.
The possible rewards of a potentially poweful solution are certainly enticing. But on this occasion, we should contemplate extremely long and carefully before opening this wonderful 'gift' - for we might just be tearing open Pandora's box.
