Copyright X) 1994, American Society for Microbiology Inhibition of Malaria Parasite Development in Mosquitoes by Anti-Mosquito-Midgut Antibodies

The mosquito midgut plays a central role in the development and subsequent transmission of malaria parasites. Using a rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei, and the mosquito vectorAnopheks stephensi, we investigated the effect of anti-mosquito-midgut antibodies on the development of malaria parasites in the mosquito. In agreement with previous studies, we found that mosquitoes that ingested antimidgut antibodies along with infectious parasites had significantly fewer oocysts than mosquitoes in the control group. We also found that the antimidgut antibodies inhibit the development and/or translocation of the sporozoites. Together, these observations open an avenue for research toward the development of a vector-based malaria parasite transmission-blocking vaccine. The development of malaria vaccines has largely targeted the blood stage of the parasite, to inhibit its replication, and the sporozoite stage, to block the initial transfer of infection from mosquito to human. Further targeting of the requisite development stages of the parasite within the vector anopheline, such as the zygote, ookinete, and oocyst, may offer unique and desirable features for malaria vaccin