Zika virus infection and dengue and chikungunya fevers are emerging viral diseases that have become public health threats. Their aetiologic agents are transmitted by the bite of genus Aedes mosquitoes. Without effective therapies or vaccines, vector control is the main strategy for preventing the spread of these diseases. Increased insecticide resistance calls for biorational actions focused on control of the target vector population. The chitin required for larval survival structures is a good target for biorational control. Chitin synthases A and B (CHS) are enzymes in the chitin synthesis pathway. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing (RNAi) achieves specific knockdown of target proteins. Our goal in this work, a new proposed RNAi-based bioinsecticide, was developed as a potential strategy for mosquito population control. DsRNA molecules that target five different regions in the CHSA and B transcript sequences were produced in vitro and in vivo through expression in E. coli HT115 and tested by direct addition to larval breeding water. Mature and immature larvae treated with dsRNA targeting CHS catalytic sites showed significantly decreased viability associated with a reduction in CHS transcript levels. The few larval and adult survivors displayed an altered morphology and chitin content. In association with diflubenzuron, this bioinsecticide exhibited insecticidal adjuvant properties.

The misuse of sport-related gene transfer methods in elite athletes is a real and growing concern. The success of gene therapy in the treatment of hereditary diseases has been most evident since targets in gene therapy products can be used in healthy individuals to improve sports performance. Performing these practices threatens the sporting character of competitions and may pose potential health hazards. Since the World Anti-Doping Agency pronouncement on the prohibition of such practices in 2003, several researchers have been trying to address the challenge of developing an effective method for the detection of genetic doping. This review presents an overview of the published methods developed for this purpose, the advantages and limitations of technologies and the putative target genes. At last, we present the perspective related to the application of the detection methods in the doping control field.

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