Gene drive systems are selfish genetic elements capable of spreading into a population despite a fitness cost. A variety of these systems have been proposed for spreading disease-refractory genes into mosquito populations, thus reducing their ability to transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue fever to humans. Some have also been proposed for suppressing mosquito populations. We assess the alignment of these systems with design criteria for their safety and efficacy. Systems such as homing endonuclease genes, which manipulate inheritance through DNA cleavage and repair, are highly invasive and well-suited to population suppression efforts. Systems such as Medea, which use combinations of toxins and antidotes to favor their own inheritance, are highly stable and suitable for replacing mosquito populations with disease-refractory varieties. These systems offer much promise for future vector-borne disease control
