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Protein deficiency has been found to make men infertile
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Adding a missing protein to an infertile man's semen could "jump-start" his ability to fertilise an egg and significantly increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, a team of scientists from the Welsh School of Medicine has found.
A team of scientists from the School of Medicine were the first to discover that during fertilization, sperm transfers vital proteins known as PLC-zeta. This protein initiates a process called “oocyte activation,” which catalyzes all the biological processes necessary for the development of an egg into an embryo.
Now experts know that the problem of unfertilized eggs due to a defect in PLC-zeta is solvable. When this protein is added to sperm, the fertilization process begins and the chances of a successful pregnancy increase.
"We know that some men are infertile because their sperm fails to activate the process of fertilizing an egg," says lead author Tony Lai. "But now we have new options for treating this condition in men. We hope to develop a special technology that will allow us to implant molecules of this protein into male sperm that, for some reason, lack it. Another option is to add this molecule to the egg directly during fertilization."
Similar studies were carried out by staff at Cardiff University Medical School, led by Professor Carl Swann.
Experiments conducted by scientists on mice confirmed their theory and also demonstrated the effectiveness of this method, despite the fact that many procedures have to be performed several times.
"These sperm are the 'right' ones. In the laboratory, we were able to prepare human PLC-zeta protein, which is the active component of male semen. It behaves according to its function," the researchers say. "In the future, we could produce human PLC-zeta protein and use it to stimulate egg activation in a completely natural way. For couples undergoing IVF treatment, this could ultimately improve the chances of having a child and treating male infertility."
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