A group of chemical scientists have announced that a naturally occurring substance in the human skin could render humans “invisible” to mosquitoes. The announcement could be a major advancement in the battle against malaria in third-world countries.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 660,000 died from the disease in 2010.

The news comes after a report earlier this year said DEET, the major mosquito repellent, was beginning to lose effectiveness. The USDA has been looking for viable alternatives to DEET.

The chemical scientists based their research on the knowledge that some people are less attractive to mosquitos. The scientists made different mixtures of the compounds on human skin and tested to see which ones would not attract mosquitoes. The compounds with the best results were tested on humans in a box of mosquitos and found that some compounds rendered the hands “invisible” to the insects.

The compounds were found to block the insect’s sense of smell.

“If a new repellent can be developed which is more effective, longer lasting and affordable, it would be of great benefit to travellers and people living in disease endemic countries,” Dr. James Logan told the BBC.