A drug approved to treat rare genetic diseases can also make human blood toxic to the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a new study finds.
The drug, called nitisinone, is currently used to treat two genetic conditions: tyrosinemia type 1 and alkaptonuria. The drug works by inhibiting an enzyme called 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), which is involved in a chain of chemical reactions known as the tyrosine detoxification pathway. By blocking the enzyme, nitisinone prevents the accumulation of harmful chemicals in the bodies of patients with these genetic conditions.
