Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Can CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives curb malaria?

Gene drives in mosquitoes to reduce the spread of malaria move closer, though technical and regulatory hurdles remain.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Nuclease-based gene drives.

Katie Vicari/Nature Publishing Group

References

  1. Gantz, V.M. & Bier, E. Science 348, 442–444 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hammond, A. et al. Nat. Biotechnol. 34, 78–83 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gantz, V.M. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112, E6736–E6743 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Alphey, L. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 59, 205–224 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Carvalho, D.O. et al. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 9, e0003864 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Burt, A. & Trivers, R. Genes in Conflict: The Biology of Selfish Genetic Elements (Belknap Press, Harvard University Press, 2006).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Burt, A. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 270, 921–928 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Deredec, A., Burt, A. & Godfray, H.C. Genetics 179, 2013–2026 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Galizi, R. et al. Nat. Commun. 5, 3977 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Davis, S., Bax, N. & Grewe, P. J. Theor. Biol. 212, 83–98 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luke Alphey.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

LA is a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford and has equity interest in Intrexon Inc. Both organisations have intellectual property in the area of genetic pest management. LA's research program at the Pirbright Institute aims to develop various genetic pest management approaches with funding from various sources, including BBSRC, Horizon2020 and the Wellcome Trust.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alphey, L. Can CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives curb malaria?. Nat Biotechnol 34, 149–150 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3473

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3473

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology