As is well known, there is a unique relationship between mosquitoes and the spread of certain diseases. One example is malaria. Often, mosquitoes are intermediaries for the seeds of malaria. He will fly with the parasite's seeds, then when he sucks human blood, the seeds of the disease also enter the human blood.
In a new study, scientists have identified a new form of mosquito immune cells, called hemocytes. These hemocytic cells have a role in how mosquitoes can transmit the parasite that causes malaria to humans. Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. This parasite requires two hosts to complete its life cycle, namely the Anopheles mosquito and humans.
In each stage, these parasites will undergo different forms involving a massive reorganization of the cytoskeleton or cell skeleton. This cell skeleton consists of several flamen movements, including actin and tubulin. As the parasite changes between developmental stages, the cytoskeleton undergoes repeated radical rearrangements.
"There is a lot of evidence to suggest that mosquito immune cells are critical to their ability to transmit disease. From that perspective, we don't know much about the molecular aspects of what immune cells are like." said Ryan Smith, professor of entomology at Iowa State University, citing Techexplorist.com.
To support this research, scientists from Iow State University used single-cell RNA sequencing in an effort to reveal the characteristics of mosquito immune cells. They found that the mosquito haemocytic cells displayed greater complexity than previously thought.
From the results of this study, Smith has a view on what can be done for the future. He envisions what if someday there will be produced mosquitoes that have undergone a genetically modified process to be able to overexpress their immune cells, but reduce their ability to transmit disease-causing pathogens.