Knocking out the RAR-α gene in male mice makes them sterile, without any obvious side effects. This protein is one of a family of three nuclear receptors that bind retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A that plays important roles in cell growth, differentiation (including sperm formation) and embryonic development. To develop their non-hormonal male contraceptive, the researchers targeted a protein called the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α). “We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid these side effects,” says Noman, a graduate student in the lab of Gunda Georg, Ph.D., at the University of Minnesota. Most compounds currently undergoing clinical trials target the male sex hormone testosterone, which could lead to side effects such as weight gain, depression and increased low-density lipoprotein (known as LDL) cholesterol levels. “Scientists have been trying for decades to develop an effective male oral contraceptive, but there are still no approved pills on the market,” says Md Abdullah Al Noman, who is presenting the work at the meeting.
Therefore, men need an effective, long-lasting but reversible contraceptive, similar to the birth control pill for women.
Although vasectomies can sometimes be reversed, the reversal surgery is expensive and not always successful. In contrast, vasectomy - a surgical procedure - is considered a permanent form of male sterilization. However, condoms are single-use only and prone to failure. The meeting features more than 12,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.Ĭurrently, men have only two effective options for birth control: male condoms and vasectomy. ACS Spring 2022 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in-person March 20-24, with on-demand access available March 21-April 8. The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Today, scientists report a non-hormonal male contraceptive that effectively prevents pregnancy in mice, without obvious side effects. But men’s birth control options - and, therefore, responsibilities - could soon be expanding. SAN DIEGO, MaWomen have many choices for birth control, ranging from pills to patches to intrauterine devices, and partly as a result, they bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy.
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