A recent study published in the October edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications suggests that targeting mosquito salivary factors — mosquitoes being transmitters of many common communicable diseases — "could offer a novel therapeutic strategy to mitigate viral-induced inflammation."
This study concluded that elements of mosquito saliva — and particularly sialokinin, a pro-inflammatory peptide specific to their saliva — play a key role in "facilitating early viral dissemination and modulating host immunity" of mosquito-borne viruses.
In a post-COVID world, we are hopefully all much more knowledgeable and concerned about germs, diseases and viruses than we were previously.
That increased attention to virology is likely to come in handy, as scientists suggest that COVID-19 was possibly just the first in a litany of future pandemics. But, thankfully, researchers are always making progress against these microscopic threats.
"Targeting specific immune modulators in mosquito saliva presents a new frontier for therapeutic development," the researchers wrote in the introduction to their paper.
This potential breakthrough could not have come at a better moment in time. Part of the reason why future pandemics seem not just possible, but inevitable, is because of the larger environmental conditions of the world in the 21st century.
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As overheating continues all over the world, hot and humid conditions are spreading and getting worse. Rising global temperatures have allowed mosquitoes to thrive in numerous new regions, which has increased the risk of diseases like dengue and malaria spreading beyond their typical coverage areas. This is literally uncharted territory for both scientists and civilians alike.
However, while it may take several more years for the actionable science to catch up to the theoretical research, it is nevertheless good to know that this progress is being made at this moment in time, when it's needed more than ever.
"As climate change continues to reshape ecosystems, the prevalence and geographical range of mosquito-borne infections are expected to expand, further intensifying the global health burden," the study's conclusion read. "Targeting these factors presents a promising strategy to complement traditional approaches, offering new ways to combat the rising threat of mosquito-borne diseases in a warmer world."
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