CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drive Systems for Malaria Vector Control: Progress and Implementation Challenges

Kabazzi Douglas T.

Department of Pharmaceutics Kampala International University Uganda

Email: t.kabazzi@studwc.kiu.ac.ug

ABSTRACT

Malaria remains a leading public health threat, with more than 249 million cases and over 600,000 deaths reported globally in 2022, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional vector control tools such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying have reduced transmission but are increasingly undermined by insecticide resistance and ecological shifts. CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive technology has emerged as a transformative approach to target mosquito vectors at the population level. The purpose of this review is to examine recent advances in CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive systems for malaria vector control, highlighting biological mechanisms, experimental progress, and implementation challenges. This review synthesized peer-reviewed studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, focusing on molecular design, laboratory and semi-field studies, and ecological as well as ethical evaluations of gene drives. Evidence indicated that homing-based drives targeting fertility genes in Anopheles gambiae can achieve greater than 95% inheritance bias and drive population suppression within 10–15 generations in laboratory cages. Population modification drives encoding antimalarial effectors demonstrate transmission-blocking efficacy with up to 98% reduction in Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite prevalence. However, resistance allele formation, ecological unpredictability, and governance gaps remain substantial barriers. While gene drives hold promises as cost-effective, sustainable tools complementing current interventions, their translation requires robust regulatory frameworks, community engagement, and careful integration with broader malaria elimination strategies. This review concludes that CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives represent both scientific opportunity and policy challenge, necessitating multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure responsible deployment.

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas9, Gene drive, Malaria, Anopheles gambiae, Vector control

CITE AS: Kabazzi Douglas T. (2025). CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drive Systems for Malaria Vector Control: Progress and Implementation Challenges. IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 10(2):73-76, 2025.  https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJAS/2025/102.7376