Aussie scientists make huge breakthrough in male contraceptive pill

Australian researchers have made great progress in developing hormone-free contraceptive pills for men.

The development was done by scientists at Monash University and involves 3D mapping of a key body protein.

The researchers involved said that imaging the protein had been “the biggest stumbling block” in developing a contraceptive pill that did not disrupt long-term sperm viability or sexual and general health.

“Unfortunately, there is a widespread perception that contraception is a women’s problem and not a men’s problem – we hope to change that,” said Sab Ventura, senior author of the study.

Dr. Ventura has led the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ male contraceptive program for more than twenty years.

“Our primary goal is to develop a male contraceptive pill that is not only hormone-free, but also circumvents side effects such as irreversible long-term effects on fertility, thus making it suitable for young men seeking contraceptive options,” said Dr. Ventura. .

This latest breakthrough has been published in Nature Communications, with the article entitled ‘Structural insights into the human P2X1 receptor and ligand interactions’.

In previous studies, Monash University researchers have shown that male infertility can be achieved genetically by simultaneously removing two proteins that mediate sperm transport – 1A adrenergic receptor and P2X1 purinergic receptor (P2X1) – but without affecting long-term viability influence the term of sperm. semen or sexual and general health.

But the chemical biology of the P2X1 receptor was not fully known.

Targeting the receptor was like “throwing darts at a dartboard hoping for success,” Dr. Venture said.

The researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the 3D structure of the receptor; this allows a more targeted and precise drug to be designed.

Drugs that target the other major receptor – the 1A adrenergic receptor – are already in use, but targeting P2X1 is more difficult.

“Now that we know what our therapeutic target looks like, we can generate drugs that can bind to it properly, which completely changes the situation,” said Dr. Venture.

Senior author Associate Professor David Thal said cryo-electron microscopy had been revolutionary for drug discovery because it showed the 3D structure of molecules that had previously been too difficult to observe.

Dr. Ventura has led the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ male contraceptive program for more than twenty years (stock image)

“Using this state-of-the-art technology, we have been able to describe the first-ever high-resolution structure of P2X1, opening an exciting new range of possibilities for developing drugs that target this receptor,” he said.

This month the NSW government made the contraceptive pill available in pharmacies, instead of requiring women to visit their GP.

A 2020 study found that in 141 countries, higher fertility rates – the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime – correlate with women’s lower educational attainment and GDP.

A widely cited 2009 study shows that 38 percent of pregnancies worldwide each year are unintended and 22 percent end in abortion.

In the US, 12 million unintended pregnancies were prevented in 2002, directly saving $19 billion in medical costs, the study found.