Cell 176, 687–701 (2019)

Small molecules that activate the pathway that regulates feeding behavior in mosquitoes can suppress their attraction to humans.

Credit: Chris Bjornberg/Science Source

The strong attraction of female mosquitos to humans is suppressed for days after the mosquito has a blood meal, and leveraging the mechanism behind this could be a way to prevent mosquito bites and the resultant spread of infectious disease.

A group of researchers in the United States identified the receptor pathway that regulates feeding behavior as a candidate for post-blood-meal appetite suppression. They identify a small molecule that activates this pathway and show that mosquitoes fed with this compound are less attracted to humans for feeding. In the future, these molecules could be used for disease control.