Instead of a condom
Scientists are working on a male "genetic contraceptive"
Julia Bondar, Copper News
When it comes to male contraception, there are usually only two options: condoms or vasectomy. Although both options are effective, they are based only on blocking the transport of sperm.
However, new research conducted by The University of Michigan (Genetic advance for male birth control), offer another option. During experiments on mice, the American biologist Chen Chen, together with a team of colleagues, found a way to turn off the gene that controls spermatogenesis. In other words, he was able to stop sperm production in mice in a non-invasive way.
Since mice are mammals and use many genes that match human genes for reproduction, this experiment can become the basis for the development of new methods of male contraception, as well as the sterilization of animals.
"More than 500,000 men have vasectomies every year. This means that there is already a huge market for the method we have discovered. It is important that we now understand the genetic basis of sperm formation in mammals," Chen said.
The scientist determined that the PNLDC1 gene is key in this process. The gene helps regulate transposons, which are sections of DNA capable of movement and reproduction within the genome. Transposons, which are also called "jumping genes", can be embedded in healthy genes and disrupt their work.
At the cellular level, the protein encoded by the PNLDC1 gene is necessary for the fight against transposons. Without this gene, the development of sperm cells is delayed in male mammals, and, ultimately, this leads to complete sterilization.
To test the effectiveness of such genetic changes, Chen's team used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to breed a "genetically modified" group of mice that lacked the PNLDC1 gene. Mice without this gene had testicles much smaller than normal males, they produced significantly fewer sperm and were infertile.
According to the researchers, this method has almost no side effects. The PNLDC1 gene is not too actively involved in other biological processes, so the modified mice did not differ from the usual ones in appearance and had the same body size and proportions (except for the size of the testicles).
Scientists believe that inactivating the PNLDC1 gene will be just as effective for humans, and their experiment opens up new prospects for creating a male "genetic contraceptive."
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