Researchers Take One More Step Towards Male Contraceptive Pill

The quest to develop a male contraceptive pill received a big boost after researchers in Edinburgh said that they have discovered a gene that plays a vital role in the production of healthy sperms. The study was conducted by researchers at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh who found that the gene Katnal 1 played an important role in the final stages of making sperm and blocking the gene could stop the production of sperm, providing reversible contraceptive in men.

In the report, published in the journal PLoS Genetics, the researchers wrote that the finding could be important as the contraceptive method could be reversible unlike vasectomy which is permanent.

“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”, lead researcher Dr Lee Smith said.

Source-Medindia