Contraception by 'blind' sperm

After birth, sperm must move to the vas deferens to be ready to " do the task ". But a contraceptive for men who are being studied in the United States can disrupt these " warriors ", unable to gather in the right place.

For a long time, only two effective methods of contraception could be used in men, including condom use and vasectomy. Medicine is studying new means of contraception for men without having to 'wear' or ' tie ' anything.

The purpose of birth control pills for men is to neutralize sperm. If in women, the goal to blockade is just an egg, once a month, in the south, things are not simple. One has to find a way to "get rid of the root " millions of sperms are " burning up ", and moreover, they must kill 100%, not to " conquer " a uncle. The core of this complex problem may have been resolved when the medical community found a powerful weapon from the sperm itself.

Professor Michael O'Rand of the University of North Carolina (USA) is studying a male contraceptive based on the use of a protein called Eppin, produced by testicles and epididymis. They are present on the surface of the sperm and are responsible for guiding sperms to the vas deferens to ' be ready for the task '.

Once the Eppin protein is lost, the sperm will automatically be " blind " in their own " kingdom "! They will be disoriented and do not know the way. Therefore, in order to suppress sperm movement, just find a way to eliminate the protein Eppin in the male body. Researchers have successfully tested the method of using Eppin itself to kill Eppin.

Normally, the immune system will produce antibodies to fight foreign agents from outside. The body does not make antibodies to fight its own proteins, in which Eppin is also a 'family member '. But scientists know how to fool the immune system.

Due to being an internal protein, Eppin only works at the male genitalia. Here, Eppin is carefully protected by a biological barrier to prevent them from circulating into the bloodstream; This means that the protein is not allowed to travel freely throughout the body. So, when EPIN protein is extracted and injected directly into the blood circulation, the body will not recognize 'family members' and automatically create antibodies to destroy Eppin. Meanwhile, the sperm will not be able to move itself into the vas deferens. The male sperm will then have no sperm.

The team produced a drug containing protein Eppin and tested it on 9 monkeys. Every 3 weeks, they are given an injection of Eppin. After a while, 7 monkeys became infertile. When the injection is discontinued, there are 5 uncovered self-fertility recoveries.

The drug will be tested on a larger scale and in many other animals before testing on humans. However, due to the physiological structure and activity of the monkey's reproductive system is quite similar to that of humans, this initial success is highly appreciated.

Professor Michael O'Rand said that it will take at least another five years for the above-mentioned contraceptive pills for men to appear on the market.