Cross-species TNF-α signaling in mosquitoes promotes malaria transmission.

Host-derived TNF-α binds to mosquito Wengen receptor, increasing malaria transmission by 50% through immune suppression mechanisms.

• Why it matters: Understanding how mammalian immune signals influence mosquito vectors is crucial for developing new strategies to block malaria transmission and combat cerebral malaria.
• What they did: The study used molecular and immunological approaches to show that TNF-α interacts with mosquito Wengen and activates mTRAF3, which inhibits the IMD pathway and reduces TEP1 production.
• The result: Neutralizing TNF-α prevents cerebral malaria and enhances transmission-blocking antibodies, revealing a host-parasite interaction that can be targeted to reduce malaria spread.