New Delhi: A new study published in Nature Communications has found that mosquito saliva may play a surprising role in shaping the body’s immune response during chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection.
Researchers from the ASTAR Infectious Diseases Labs (ASTAR IDL) in Singapore discovered that a specific protein found in the saliva of Aedes mosquitoes — called sialokinin — can influence how the immune system reacts when the virus enters the body.
The team found that sialokinin binds to neurokinin receptors on immune cells, which suppresses the activation of monocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections.
This temporary suppression reduces inflammation in the early stages of infection, creating a window for the virus to spread more easily through the body.
While this early dampening might seem beneficial, it can actually lead to more severe symptoms later, including long-lasting joint pain and swelling that chikungunya is known for.
Laboratory and pre-clinical studies supported these findings, showing that this mechanism allows the virus to disseminate faster and establish infection in multiple tissues.
Interestingly, patients with more severe chikungunya symptoms were found to have higher levels of antibodies against sialokinin, suggesting that their bodies mounted a stronger immune reaction to the peptide — possibly contributing to increased inflammation and disease severity.
Dr Siew-Wai Fong, Senior Scientist and corresponding author of the study, explained that mosquito saliva is not just a passive medium carrying viruses. “Our findings show that mosquito salivary proteins actively modulate host immunity.
Targeting sialokinin or its interaction with receptors could open new therapeutic possibilities to control inflammation and improve outcomes in chikungunya and other mosquito-borne infections,” said Dr Fong.
The researchers emphasised that understanding how mosquito saliva interacts with the human immune system is crucial in combating mosquito-borne diseases.
As climate change drives the global spread of Aedes mosquitoes, uncovering and neutralising such salivary factors could be key to developing better prevention and treatment strategies against infections like chikungunya, dengue, and Zika.