Findings from
mouse study could also result in new treatments for infertility By Robert Preidt Thursday, May 24, 2012Birth Control Genes and
Gene Therapy Male InfertilityTHURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- The discovery
of a key gene involved in sperm development could eventually lead to the
creation of a new type of non-hormonal birth control for men, a study involving
mice suggests.Researchers found that a gene called Katnal1 is critical to
enable sperm to mature in the testes. Finding a way to regulate this gene could
prevent sperm from maturing, making them incapable of fertilizing eggs.This
finding also could lead to new treatments for cases of male infertility in
which the Katnal1 gene malfunctions and hampers sperm development, according to
the study, from researchers at the University
of Edinburgh in Scotland .The researchers found that
male mice modified to lack the Katnal1 gene were infertile. Further
investigation revealed that the gene was essential for sperm development and
maturation.Successful trials in mice do not necessarily mean the success will
translate to humans, however.The study was published in the journal PLoS
Genetics."If we can find a way to target this gene in the testes, we could
potentially develop a non-hormonal contraceptive," study author Lee Smith,
of the University
of Edinburgh 's Center for
Reproductive Health, said in a journal news release."The important thing
is that the effects of such a drug would be reversible because Katnal1 only
affects sperm cells in the later stages of development, so it would not hinder
the early stages of sperm production and the overall ability to produce
sperm," Smith said."Although other research is being carried out into
non-hormonal male contraceptives, identification of a gene that controls sperm
production in the way Katnal1 does is a unique and significant step forward in
our understanding of testis biology," Smith concluded.SOURCE: PLoS
Genetics, news release, May 24, 2012
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