A new type of non-hormonal contraceptive for men could result from the discovery of a vital gene involved in sperm development, a study suggests.
Scientists have found that a gene called Katnal1 functions to control sperm during their maturation in the testes.
Finding a way to block this gene could result in the creation of new male contraceptive, which would work without altering hormone levels, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said.
"If we can find a way to target this gene in the testes, we could potentially develop a non-hormonal contraceptive," Dr. Lee Smith said who is a reader in Genetic Endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh's Center for Reproductive Health and main author of the study which involved analysing the DNA of infertile male mice.
"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 was quoted by the Scotsman newspaper as saying.
"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 testes biology," Smith said.
He added, however, that potential drugs were still at least five to ten years away.
The breakthrough could also help develop new treatments for cases of male infertility when Katnal1 malfunctions.
"Many cases of male infertility remain unexplained and as such Katnal1 is a good example of a previously unknown gene that when mutated causes male infertility," Smith said.
"This study could help identify the causes underlying unexplained male infertility."
