SwRI fabricates bed-netting prototypes to target malaria-causing parasites

(Press-News.org) SAN ANTONIO — May 21, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute tapped into its drug formulation and manufacturing expertise to fabricate two bed netting prototypes targeting malaria-causing blood parasites. In a collaboration with researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)/Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), SwRI designed netting systems to deliver antimalarial drugs called Endochin-like Quinolones (ELQs) that destroy Plasmodium parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

“If an infected mosquito hits or lands on either type of netting, it’s essentially disinfected,” said Institute Scientist Dr. Mike Rubal, a contributor to the Nature article. “The best defense against malaria has been insecticide-treated bed nets or those coated with larvicides, but mosquitoes are developing an immunity to those prevention methods. This novel approach targets the source of the disease.”

In 2023, the World Health Organization reported 263 million cases of malaria and nearly 600,000 deaths worldwide. The disease remains pervasive even with preventative measures and available treatments. Resistance to larvicides and pesticides is a growing concern among malaria researchers.

Rubal’s team coated a commercially available polyester bed net with an ELQ solution synthesized at OHSU/PVAMC. SwRI also blended a second formulation of ELQ into a hot-melt extrusion of high-density polyethylene filaments, which can be woven to make yarn for netting. The team at the Catteruccia lab at Harvard evaluated both netting systems for efficacy.

“We desperately need innovation in malaria control. This study offers a new, effective way to stop the transmission of malaria parasites, which we hope will reduce the burden of this devastating disease in Africa and beyond,” said corresponding author Dr. Flaminia Catteruccia, the Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, female Anopheles mosquitoes pass parasites to humans through saliva shared when they bite. Parasites attack and reproduce within the liver and red blood cells causing a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe. If left untreated, malaria can lead to brain damage, organ failure and even death, especially among children and other vulnerable populations.

“Our research shows that the two drugs, which are absorbed through the legs of the insect, kill parasites developing within the mosquito. By using two different ELQs, the likelihood of resistance is greatly diminished and possibly eliminated,” said Dr. Michael Riscoe, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at OHSU. “This emerging technology has great potential to impact efforts to control and eradicate malaria around the world.”

A National Institute of Health (NIH) R01 grant and funding from Open Philanthropy supported the research.

The Nature paper, “In vivo screen of Plasmodium targets for mosquito-based malaria control,” can be accessed here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09039-2.

To learn more, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/biomedical-health/pharmaceutical-development or https://www.swri.org/markets/chemistry-materials/chemistry-chemical-engineering/microencapsulation/extrusion.

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