FunCloser to the ultimate male pill
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Closer to the ultimate male pill

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The male contraceptive to replace condoms and vasectomies is on the way. A compound called JQ1 , originally developed as an anticancer therapy, has been shown to cause reversible infertility in mice , initially without side effects. The compound is now ready to be tested in humans, according to US researchers announced in the latest issue of the journal Cell .

JQ1's mechanism of action is quite simple: it penetrates the blood vessels that nourish the testes and disrupts spermatogenesis , the process by which sperm mature. The result is a decrease in the number of spermatozoa as well as in their quality and mobility. According to the scientists, the newly discovered molecule blocks the bromodomain BRDT , a protein involved in the chromatin remodeling process, which is the combination of DNA and proteins that constitutes the content of the nucleus of a cell, in this case sperm. .

When JQ1 is stopped, sperm production quickly returns to normal. Another advantage is that the compound does not affect testosterone production, libido, or reproductive behavior. Do the findings show that an effective male oral contraceptive is possible? says James Bradner, a researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a co-author of the work.

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