Ethics of gene drive technology in mosquitoes

Project Overview

Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon which increases the rate of inheritance of specific genetic traits in the offspring of sexually reproducing organisms to rates of up to 100%, as compared to the normal Mendelian rate of ~50% trait inheritance. Scientists have long studied how to harness gene drive technology to manage vector-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, Zika virus, dengue fever, and malaria. These diseases are spread via blood-feeding insects (vectors) such as ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Major strides in creating engineered gene drives have taken place in the last several years, and the field has been gaining increasing international interest for its promise in applications for public health, conservation, and agriculture.

The Institute on Ethics & Policy for Innovation (IEPI) is one of only a few institutions in the world working on the ethics of gene drive research. We examine the ethical, social, and cultural ramifications of the potential genetic modification of mosquitoes for malaria eradication.

Malaria still kills more than 400,000 people each year — and 67 per cent are children under the age of five. In Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria infection during pregnancy causes up to 200,000 infant deaths every year. Compounding these statistics are the pandemic lockdowns, shortages, and restrictions that have significantly hampered access to malaria diagnosis and treatments. Malaria is a preventable disease, with a target date of 2040 for global eradication. Transformative tools such as gene drive technology will be necessary to achieve this aim.

Project Aims

The Institute on Ethics & Policy for Innovation (IEPI) pursues an overarching mission of enabling innovation for the public good. Research into engineered gene drive applications constitutes an area of innovation with great potential for substantial global health improvements through development of novel tools. However, the novelty of potential gene drive applications for malaria elimination requires that people and organizations involved in the funding, research, stakeholder engagement, regulation, and governance of these technologies come together to co-operatively work out principles, standards, and best practices to ensure safe and ethical roll-out of gene drive technologies.

IEPI’s interdisciplinary team is comprised of experts in philosophy, the social sciences, law, biomedical science, public health, and health policy. IEPI members collaborate with global partners to identify and address ethical challenges, ethics-related risks, and policy gaps relating to gene drive research. We contribute to development of international standards and guidelines, inform policy, and provide ethics expertise to enable gene drive research and development.

Our aim is to ensure that any potential deployment of this potentially life-saving innovation will be launched in a way that promotes public trust and community acceptance, and reaches those most in need.

Project Partners

Our global partners include:
– Target Malaria –The leading gene drive research consortium globally. Target Malaria is a not-for-profit research consortium that aims to develop and share new, cost-effective, and sustainable genetic technologies to modify mosquitoes and reduce malaria transmission.

– Gene Drive Research Forum – Various organizations interested in gene drive research are working together to identify areas of mutual interest to facilitate collaboration, coordination, and cooperation.

– Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) GeneConvene Global Collaborative – Advances best practices and informed decision making for development of genetic biocontrol technologies to improve public health. GeneConvene offers technical information, advice, training, and coordination for research on gene drive and other genetic biocontrol technologies.

– Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research – The network supports coordination among members, information sharing, and engagement with key stakeholders to raise awareness of the value of gene drive research for the public good and the need for continuous efforts in its advancement.

– UN Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases – a global programme of scientific collaboration that helps facilitate, support, and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty. It is co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

– Wellcome Trust – Funds discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and supports research to find solutions to three categories of health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate.