TY  - JOUR
A1  - Müller, Ruth
A1  - Bálint, Miklós
A1  - Hardes, Kornelia
A1  - Hollert, Henner
A1  - Klimpel, Sven
A1  - Knorr, Eileen
A1  - Kochmann, Judith
A1  - Lee, Kwang-Zin
A1  - Mehring, Marion
A1  - Pauls, Steffen U.
A1  - Smets, Greet
A1  - Steinbrink, Antje
A1  - Vilcinskas, Andreas
T1  - RNA interference to combat the Asian tiger mosquito in Europe: A pathway from design of an innovative vector control tool to its application
T2  - Biotechnology Advances
N2  - The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is currently spreading across Europe, facilitated by climate change and global transportation. It is a vector of arboviruses causing human diseases such as chikungunya, dengue hemorrhagic fever and Zika fever. For the majority of these diseases, no vaccines or therapeutics are available. Options for the control of Ae. albopictus are limited by European regulations introduced to protect biodiversity by restricting or phasing out the use of pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or products of genome editing. Alternative solutions are thus urgently needed to avoid a future scenario in which Europe faces a choice between prioritizing human health or biodiversity when it comes to Aedes-vectored pathogens. To ensure regulatory compliance and public acceptance, these solutions should preferably not be based on chemicals or GMOs and must be cost-efficient and specific. The present review aims to synthesize available evidence on RNAi-based mosquito vector control and its potential for application in the European Union. The recent literature has identified some potential target sites in Ae. albopictus and formulations for delivery. However, we found little information concerning non-target effects on the environment or human health, on social aspects, regulatory frameworks, or on management perspectives. We propose optimal designs for RNAi-based vector control tools against Ae. albopictus (target product profiles), discuss their efficacy and reflect on potential risks to environmental health and the importance of societal aspects. The roadmap from design to application will provide readers with a comprehensive perspective on the application of emerging RNAi-based vector control tools for the suppression of Ae. albopictus populations with special focus on Europe.
KW  - Arboviruses
KW  - Dengue virus
KW  - Environmental health
KW  - Invasive mosquitoes
KW  - RNA interference
KW  - RNAi-based control
KW  - Target product profiles
KW  - Vector insects
KW  - Zika virus
Y1  - 2023
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/74235
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-742354
SN  - 0734-9750
VL  - 66
IS  - 108167
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam [u.a.]
ER  -