Prevent Sleeping Sickness with Genetically Engineered Bacteria

The use of the genetically engineered bacterium Sodalis glossinidius against the parasite Trypanosoma brucei could be a solution to control and prevent the fatal disease “sleeping sickness”.

African trypanosomiasis commonly called as sleeping sickness is a deadly endemic disease native of Africa. The disease is been continuously reported in majority of the population and the outcome of a recent study on the risk of infection among the population revealed the fact that about 69.3 million people are in the risk category of being infected.

Sleeping sickness is a parasitic infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Tsetse flies acts as a host for this particular protozoan species and aids the transmission of this parasite into humans through bites. Trypanosoma brucei enters the blood stream of a healthy individual following a bite by the tsetse fly and continue to multiply in the body fluid of the infected individual and has the potential to cross the blood brain barrier thus affecting the brain of the infected individual. Infection by this parasite deteriorates both physical and mental health of the individual and causes some disturbance in the regular sleep pattern, thus acquiring the name sleeping sickness. Also the transmission of the parasite from human to the tsetse fly occurs when the fly stings an infected person.

The rate of infection is accelerating due to the lack of proper prevention and treatment methods. Recently US research scientists spelled out the names of two bacteria Sodalis glossinidius which forms a part of the gut flora of the tsetse fly and Wolbachia which is established in the reproductive system of the fly as tools to prevent and control the Trypanosoma brucei infection. As a first step Sodalis glossinidius is genetically modified to express resistance to the Trypanosome brucei parasites present in the fly and with an effort to pass on the genetically reconstructed bacteria Sodalis glossinidius to successive fly population (progeny), the team used Wolbachia as a tool. Paratransgenesis is the method used which will ensure the absence of the parasite in successive progeny of the fly.The outcome of the research is identified as a fruitful approach in eliminating the deadly disease if established properly.

If the above discovery gets acknowledged in eradicating sleeping sickness then it will pave way for eradicating other insect transmitted diseases (e.g. Malaria) in a similar manner.

Reference

http://london-student.net/science/11/16/...-sickness/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_try...cite_ref-7
http://m.scidev.net/global/gm/news/gm-ba...kness.html
http://www.itg.be/itg/generalsite/Defaul...ID=252&L=E