用免疫反應(yīng)使雄性不育
生物谷報(bào)道：男性不育和避孕一直是研究人員關(guān)心的問(wèn)題,，最新一期Science研究人員報(bào)告說(shuō)，一個(gè)來(lái)自睪丸的蛋白質(zhì)能引起雄性猴子的免疫系統(tǒng)響應(yīng),，使這些猴子暫時(shí)失去生育能力,。Michael O'Rand和報(bào)告的合作者說(shuō)，類似的方法也許能用于男性的可逆避孕法,。通常的避孕方法靠干預(yù)體內(nèi)激素的水平,，“免疫避孕法”提供了一個(gè)另外的選擇，但是迄今為止,，這個(gè)方法的研究對(duì)象只限于女性,。本文作者用含有來(lái)自睪丸的蛋白質(zhì)Eppin的溶液處置了9只雄性猴子，其中7只猴子發(fā)生了強(qiáng)烈的抗體反應(yīng),，喪失了生育能力,。在處置停止后，這7只猴子中的5只恢復(fù)了生育能力,。Eppin蛋白質(zhì)與射精凝結(jié)物有關(guān)的一個(gè)物質(zhì)相互作用,。所以,，作者推測(cè)，抵抗Eppin的抗體也許通過(guò)干預(yù)這個(gè)相互作用導(dǎo)致生育能力的喪失,。

Various forms of birth control have been developed for women; however, there are currently few options for men. The development of male contraceptives that are effective, safe, and reversible is desired for family planning throughout the world. We now report contraception of male nonhuman primates (Macaca radiata) immunized with Eppin, a testis/epididymis-specific protein. Seven out of nine males (78%) developed high titers to Eppin, and all of these high-titer monkeys were infertile. Five out of seven (71%) high–anti-Eppin titer males recovered fertility when immunization was stopped. This study demonstrates that effective and reversible male immunocontraception is an attainable goal. This method of immunocontraception may be extended to humans.