A causative agent of human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is transmitted by 
Anopheles mosquitoes. The malaria parasite is under intensive attack from the 
mosquito's innate immune system during its sporogonic development. We have used 
genetic engineering to create immune-enhanced Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes 
through blood meal-inducible expression of a transgene encoding the IMD 
pathway-controlled NF-kB Rel2 transcription factor in the midgut and fat-body 
tissue. Transgenic mosquitoes showed greater resistance to Plasmodium and 
microbial infection as a result of timely concerted tissue-specific immune 
attacks involving multiple effectors. The relatively weak impact of this genetic 
modification on mosquito fitness under laboratory conditions encourages further 
investigation of this approach for malaria control.