Research gives new hope to infertile men
FXR1 plays an essential role in ensuring the maturation of sperm.
Infertile males now have hope thanks to a significant advancement in spermatid growth.
Millions of women and men of childbearing age are affected by the global health problem of infertility. The most populated nation in the world, China, is also experiencing a demographic catastrophe.
According to an epidemiological study, China's infertility rate has dramatically increased over the past 20 years, rising from roughly 7 percent to 18 percent. That means 10 out of 56 couples have trouble getting pregnant.
Male infertility, in particular, is responsible for nearly 40 percent of infertility in couples.
Recent research led by Liu Mofang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science has provided new hope for the treatment of male infertility.
The study discovered that the FXR1 protein is required for sperm maturation, demonstrating that knocking out FXR1 in germ cells results in a failure to produce sperm in mice.
"It helps us understand spermatid development and provides a rationale for male infertility," Liu said.
The findings were published in the journal Science.
