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Scientists will soon create a male contraceptive for men
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Researchers from the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University have discovered that sperm can be rendered 'harmless' by just one mutation.
The research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from the University of Newcastle, the Institute of Medical Research in Australia and the University of Cambridge. The scientists’ article was published in the journal PLoS Genetics.
Scientists have found out that the RABL2 gene, which ensures the motor activity of the sperm tail, can, as a result of mutations, provoke male infertility (the ability of sperm to move is lost, and sperm production is also reduced).
Professor Moira O'Brien, from Monash University's School of Molecular Biology, and her team created a mutation in the gene, depriving the sperm of the fuel it was supplied with and therefore the ability to move.
The scientists conducted experiments on rodents. As a result, it turned out that due to the mutation, the tails of spermatozoa were shortened by 17% compared to the normal state, and sperm production decreased by 50%. All animals that suffered from these changes lost the ability to fertilize, because their spermatozoa lost the ability to swim and move. And it is the ability to move that is the key to successful fertilization.
By the way, this gene is found in the kidneys, brain and liver.
Thanks to the data obtained, specialists are considering creating a contraceptive for men that would reduce the motility of spermatozoa and, accordingly, their ability to fertilize.
Scientists hope to find a way to create a drug with such a set of functions, but without irreversible consequences. Experts are also interested in the drug's effect on other organs where the RABL2 gene is active.
"Many of the key processes involved in sperm development occur at lower levels in other organs of the body. So having a more complete picture of the human body will provide opportunities to treat infertility as well as other diseases," says Professor O'Brien.