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August 27, 2010
Birth control for men
New pill jams sperm’s biochemical machinery.
KARIN KLOOSTERMAN ISRAEL21C
The female birth control pill, commonly referred to as “the pill,” is not 100 percent effective, and some bodies don’t react well to the extra hormones. Now, a new birth control option for men is in the works, which would allow partners to share the responsibility for contraception.
Prof. Haim Breitbart of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University authored a paper in 2006 describing how sperm survive in the uterus. Now the biochemist is taking those findings and using them against sperm. He’s developed a number of compounds that have no effect on male sex drive but succeed in impairing the reproductive ability of sperm. If all goes according to plan, a new male birth control pill could be on the market within the next five years, he said.
So far, the pill, dubbed the “Bright Pill” (a play on Brietbart’s name), has been tested on animal models in a pre-clinical setting and has been found to work on mice.
“What we found is that by treating the mice with our molecule we can get sterility for a long period of time, in the lower dose, about one month, and in the higher dose, we found three months of sterility. Later on, the male mouse can become fertile. It’s reversible,” said Breitbart.
Provided in pill form but also tested as an injection, the male birth control solution was administered in two treatments over three days. In the larger dose group, it took a week until the effects manifested but, most importantly, the treatment did not appear to affect the sex drive or the sexual behavior of the mice that received it.
“The mice behaved nicely,” Breitbart reported. “They ate and had sex; they were laughing and everything, so all I can say is that we couldn’t see any behavioral side-effects – all their sex behavior was retained, which is a very important consideration for human men.”
Rather than undergo an irreversible vasectomy, a man could sterilize himself for short periods, suggested Breitbart – likely one to three months, depending on the dose. And, unlike the female pill, the male pill wouldn’t have to be taken every day.
The effects of the male pill would be highly specific, meaning men would likely experience fewer side-effects than do women who go on the pill. Breitbart will divulge that his male pill is based on techniques in bioinformatics and microbiology, and shows no sign of attacking any cells other than sperm cells.
Referring to the paper that he published in the journal Genes and Development, Breitbart said that the Bright Pill jams the sperm’s biochemical machinery.
Mature sperm cells synthesize proteins in the uterus, where they reside for up to three days or longer until fertilization of the egg takes place. “We thought that since sperm can survive for three days or even longer, that there is another hypothesis: the sperm should renew their proteins because, in order to get energy, they need new proteins,” he explained.
In mature sperm, messenger RNA (mRNA) is produced by DNA in the sperm’s nucleus, and it is this that directs protein synthesis in the sperm, Breitbart’s lab showed. Mitochondrial ribosomes are active in synthesizing nuclei-encoded mRNA proteins. Breitbart and his researchers realized that if it were possible to stop protein synthesis in the sperm, they wouldn’t manage to survive in the uterus.
Sperm are produced in the testes and then move to the epididymus, Breitbart explained, which is like a holding tank, where they can stay for a few days.
“If we can use a molecule which will inhibit the synthesis of certain proteins in sperm development, and it will stay in the sperm when it goes directly to the epididymus, we increase its chances for high efficiency. So far we know this works in mice,” he said.
The Bright Pill would have to be taken a week in advance, which could encourage deliberate, planned, safer sex. And it should be well received by religiously observant Jews, he said. According to Jewish law, castration of any animal – human or non-human – is forbidden and ejaculating outside the female body is not permitted. Also, for women who are allergic to the pill, this solution provides more freedom in family planning, said Breitbart.
Bright Pill is being submitted for a patent through Bar-Ilan University’s tech transfer company BIRAD. Working with Dr. Yael Gur, the two are seeking an investment to enable them to move on to the next stage of clinical advancement.
Israel21C is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.
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