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Thanks to scientist in Montreal, there seems to be a new treatment for infertility on the rise. A new discovery at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Molecular Human Research Centre shows that researchers have become the first to clone Sperm (BSP), which may protein important for sperm maturation, termed Binder of methods of male have implications for both fertility treatments and new contraception.
From previous studies on the sperm for bulls and boars, it is evident that if this protein is missing or defective in these species, fertility is compromised. Drr. Manjunath and colleagues have tried to isolate human BSPs for more than 10 years. In most mammals, these proteins are typically produced by the seminal vesicles and added to sperm at ejaculation. Yet this is not the case for humans, primates and rodents. According to Dr.Manjunath and his team, these species produce small amounts of BSPs only in the epididymis, a duct that connects the testes to the urethra. More recently it became evident that they were looking in the wrong place.
Dr. Manjunath and his team went back to the basics. Using molecular biology technique they cloned the gene (DNA) that encodes human BSP. Through cloning, they were able to produce and purify this protein. They were then able to produce functional human BSP, and then had to confirm its biological role in human fertility.
Lefebvre et al. Recombinant expression and affinity purification of a novel epididymal human sperm-binding protein, BSPH1. Molecular Human Reproduction, 2008; 15 (2): 105 DOI:
