An experimental contraceptive drug was effective at temporarily disabling sperm in male mice, according to a study published Tuesday by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, bringing science one step closer to developing a short-term, fast-acting birth control pill for men.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, gave male mice a single dose of a compound that temporarily inhibited soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), “the enzyme essential for activating a sperm cell’s ability to swim and mature so that it can travel through the female reproductive tract and fertilize an egg.” The study found that male mice treated with the compound exhibited “normal mating behavior” but resulted in zero pregnancies, whereas male mice given a placebo impregnated their mates 30% of the time. The male mice remained infertile for up to 2.5 hours, with some sperm regaining motility 3 hours after receiving the compound. Within 24 hours, the male mice regained full fertility, with no side effects observed in the male or female mice.
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In an email to Yahoo News, the study’s coauthors, Dr. Lonny Levin, Dr. Jochen Buck and Dr. Melanie Balbach, said there were several major takeaways from their research.
“The first is that male contraception is an achievable goal,” Levin said. “Our study provides proof of concept that a man will some day be able to take a contraceptive drug to provide reproductive equality for both partners.”
Read more: yahoo
