Kumari Yasoda, Gunathilaka Nayana, Amarasinghe Deepika
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
Department of Zoology and Environment Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Dalugama, Sri Lanka.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 Jan 27;19(1):e0012795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012795. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Leishmaniasis is a health problem in many regions with poor health and poor life resources. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 700,000-1 million new cases arise annually. Effective control of sand fly vector populations is crucial for reducing the transmission of this disease. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively examine and evaluate the current methods for controlling sand fly populations, focusing on biological and gene drive techniques.
A detailed, comprehensive literature search was carried out using databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the National Library of Medicine (NIH). These searches were done using specific keywords related to the field of study. This current review identified several promising methods, including genetically modified sand flies, using transgenic approaches by taking advanced gene editing tools like Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) and genetic modification of symbiotic microorganisms for controlling sand fly populations, which appeared to be proven under laboratory and field settings.
Genetic control approaches have many benefits over chemical control, including long-lasting effects on targets, high specificity, and less environmental impact. Advances in genetic engineering technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, sterile insect techniques, and gene drive insect modification, offer new avenues for precise and efficient sand fly management. Future research should prioritize optimizing rearing and sterilization techniques, conducting controlled field trials, and fostering collaboration across disciplines to realize the potential of genetic control strategies in combating leishmaniasis.
利什曼病在许多卫生条件差和生活资源匮乏的地区是一个健康问题。据世界卫生组织（WHO）估计，每年新增病例达70万至100万例。有效控制白蛉媒介种群对于减少该疾病的传播至关重要。因此，本综述旨在全面审视和评估当前控制白蛉种群的方法，重点关注生物学和基因驱动技术。
使用包括谷歌学术、PubMed、ScienceDirect和美国国立医学图书馆（NIH）在内的数据库进行了详细、全面的文献检索。这些检索使用了与研究领域相关的特定关键词。本综述确定了几种有前景的方法，包括使用先进的基因编辑工具如成簇规律间隔短回文重复序列（CRISPR/Cas9）通过转基因方法对沙蝇进行基因改造，以及对共生微生物进行基因改造以控制沙蝇种群，这些方法在实验室和田间环境中似乎已得到验证。
与化学控制相比，基因控制方法有许多优点，包括对目标的长效作用、高特异性和对环境的影响较小。基因工程技术的进步，特别是CRISPR/Cas9、不育昆虫技术和基因驱动昆虫改造，为精确高效的白蛉管理提供了新途径。未来的研究应优先优化饲养和绝育技术，进行对照田间试验，并促进跨学科合作，以实现基因控制策略在对抗利什曼病方面的潜力。
