Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential to spread within populations and are considered as promising vector control tools. A <jats:italic>doublesex</jats:italic>-targeting gene drive was able to suppress laboratory <jats:italic>Anopheles</jats:italic> mosquito populations in small and large cages, and it is considered for field application. Challenges related to the field-use of gene drives and the evolving regulatory framework suggest that systems able to modulate or revert the action of gene drives, could be part of post-release risk-mitigation plans. In this study, we challenge an AcrIIA4-based anti-drive to inhibit gene drive spread in age-structured <jats:italic>Anopheles gambiae</jats:italic> population under complex feeding and behavioural conditions. A stochastic model predicts the experimentally-observed genotype dynamics in age-structured populations in medium-sized cages and highlights the necessity of large-sized cage trials. These experiments and experimental-modelling framework demonstrate the effectiveness of the anti-drive in different scenarios, providing further corroboration for its use in controlling the spread of gene drive in <jats:italic>Anopheles</jats:italic>.</jats:p>