Male mice injected with a molecule that affects sperm movement were temporarily unable to impregnate a female, showing promise for a new type of birth control drug for people
“In the absence of the STK33 protein, mice and human sperm wind up having very abnormal sperm tails, which causes motility defects,” says Matzuk. Studies have also shown that
To identify a compound that could bind to and inhibit the activity of the STK33 protein, the team combed through a library containing billions of chemicals, looking for a suitable molecule. Eventually, they found a candidate called CDD-2807.Next, the team injected six male mice with CDD-2807 twice a day for 21 days and another seven male mice once a day for the same amount of time.
Only one mouse across both groups had impregnated a female by the end of the 40 days. That mouse only sired one pup, whereas mice litters typically have up to six pups, a sign that the treatment still reduced its fertility. No side effects were recorded. Three weeks after stopping the treatment, the researchers found that the mice’s infertility reversed and they were able to reproduce as normal.
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