Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
in collaboration with
Dr Christophe de Jaeger (Longevity and geriatrics)
The discovery of a key gene in sperm production could pave the way for an effective, reversible and non-hormonal male contraceptive. Is the first male contraceptive pill finally within reach? The point of view of Dr Christophe de Jaeger, physiologist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee.
For many years, scientists have sought to develop a male contraceptive pill. The results of this American study could be the first step in this direction, after years of disappointment.
A gene essential for sperm production
Washington State University researchers have identified the role of the gene, Arrdc5, in testicular tissue from mice, pigs, cattle and humans. When they knocked out the gene in mice, it only created infertility in males, which impacted their sperm count, movement and shape. This combination of abnormality (called oligoasthenoteratospermia) is the most common diagnosis for human male infertility, sperm are unable to fuse with an egg.
In the study, male mice lacking this gene produced 28% fewer sperm, which moved 2.8 times slower than normal mice – and nearly 98% of sperm had abnormal heads and midsections . The protein encoded by this gene is therefore necessary for the normal production of sperm.
A reversible and non-hormonal action
For the lead author of this work, Professor Jon Oatley, Professor at WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences, “the study identifies for the first time this gene as being expressed only in testicular tissue, nowhere else in the body. When this gene is inactivated or inhibited in males, they make sperm that cannot fertilize an egg, and it is a prime target for the development of male contraceptives.”.
Moreover, disruption of this protein would not require any hormonal interference, a major obstacle to male contraception until now since testosterone plays other roles beyond sperm production, including building bone mass and muscle strength as well as the production of red blood cells.
Other experiments showed that the “reactivation” of this gene made it possible to return to normal sperm production. Designing a drug to target this protein would make contraception easily reversible.
A prime target for a future male pill
In addition, the researchers recall their objective, namely “to prevent sperm from being produced normally”, an ability that would be reversible when the product is stopped. Finally, according to Professor Oatley, “Right now, we really don’t have anything on the side of male contraception other than surgery and only a small percentage of men opt for vasectomy. If we can develop this discovery into a drug solution, it could have a huge impact”.
The opinion of Dr Christophe de Jaeger, physiologist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee
“First of all, I salute the quality of this study and the work carried out, which very well details the genetic cascade and the different steps to arrive at this temporary blocking of sperm, via this protein. But as is often the case in medicine, the physiological mechanisms are complex and what is demonstrated here applies to mice. We are currently very far from an application in humans, but it is a track that can be promising“.