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Uncovering The Secret Life of Sperm Significant Step Towards Treating Infertility
In a significant step forward towards sparing infertile couples the pain, anguish and expense of fruitless IVF treatments, scientists have discovered a lock-and-key mechanism between sperm and egg cells.
Dr. Martin Brinkworth, a member of the team at the universities of Bradford and Leeds that discovered the lock-and-key mechanism, says that their work could help understand why so many couples with no apparent reproductive problems are unable to conceive.
Apart from being expensive, in vitro fertilisation cycles may cause the couples opting them to face huge amounts of stress, and lead to depression and, in some cases, divorce.
"Our work has quite a lot of relevance for humans and society and one of the main ones is infertility," the Independent quoted Dr. Brinkworth as saying.
Some 15 per cent of couples have trouble conceiving, about half of them because the man has a problem. However, in only one third of cases is the cause obvious, such as a low sperm count, malformation or poor swimming ability. Consequently, 2 per cent of the infertile male population are left with no discernable reason.
Dr. David Miller at the University of Leeds thinks the secret could be that the genetic keys in their sperm don't quite fit their partners' locks.
"Our research offers a plausible explanation for why some sperm malfunction," he said.
His colleague Dr. David Iles added: "There is a definite pattern to the way DNA is packaged in sperm cells. It is the same in unrelated fertile men, but it is different in the sperm of infertile men."
Dr. Martin Brinkworth, a member of the team at the universities of Bradford and Leeds that discovered the lock-and-key mechanism, says that their work could help understand why so many couples with no apparent reproductive problems are unable to conceive.
Apart from being expensive, in vitro fertilisation cycles may cause the couples opting them to face huge amounts of stress, and lead to depression and, in some cases, divorce.
"Our work has quite a lot of relevance for humans and society and one of the main ones is infertility," the Independent quoted Dr. Brinkworth as saying.
Some 15 per cent of couples have trouble conceiving, about half of them because the man has a problem. However, in only one third of cases is the cause obvious, such as a low sperm count, malformation or poor swimming ability. Consequently, 2 per cent of the infertile male population are left with no discernable reason.
Dr. David Miller at the University of Leeds thinks the secret could be that the genetic keys in their sperm don't quite fit their partners' locks.
"Our research offers a plausible explanation for why some sperm malfunction," he said.
His colleague Dr. David Iles added: "There is a definite pattern to the way DNA is packaged in sperm cells. It is the same in unrelated fertile men, but it is different in the sperm of infertile men."
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More News on: Genetics of Male Infertility, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Infertility, Vaginitis, Egg Donation, Artificial Insemination , Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Dilatation and Curettage, Undescended Testis, Testicular Cancer
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