A Leap Forward in Male Birth Control: Non-Hormonal, Reversible Method Unveiled

Administering an HDAC inhibitor orally stopped sperm production and fertility in mice without impacting their libido.
Surveys show most men in the United States are interested in using male contraceptives. However, their choices are currently restricted to the less reliable condoms or the more intrusive vasectomies. Efforts to create medications that inhibit sperm production, development, or the ability to fertilize have so far achieved modest success, often resulting in partial efficacy or significant adverse effects. The complexity of sperm development poses a significant challenge for scientists attempting to innovate in the field of male contraception, as finding aspects of the process that can be altered safely and effectively remains difficult.

Now, scientists at the Salk Institute have found a new method of interrupting sperm production, which is both non-hormonal and reversible. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on February 20, 2024, implicates a new protein complex in regulating gene expression during sperm production. The researchers demonstrate that treating male mice with an existing class of drugs, called HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors, can interrupt the function of this protein complex and block fertility without affecting libido.

https://scitechdaily.com/a-leap-forward-in-male-birth-control-non-hormonal-reversible-method-unveiled/