Scientists at Cornell University may be closing in on the long-sought “holy grail” of male contraception: a safe, reversible, nonhormonal method that completely halts sperm production. In a breakthrough mouse study, researchers used a compound called JQ1 to temporarily shut down meiosis—the critical process that produces sperm—without causing lasting harm. After treatment stopped, sperm production bounced back, fertility returned, and the animals produced healthy offspring.

[–] renzhexiangjiao@piefed.blahaj.zone 25 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

ah so it's one of those articles whose title is missing "in mice"

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And I question how viable it is given this:

To achieve this, scientists used JQ1, a small molecule inhibitor originally developed to study cancer and inflammatory diseases. While JQ1 is not suitable as a treatment due to neurological side effects, it is known to interfere with a stage of meiosis called prophase 1. This allowed researchers to demonstrate, for the first time, that targeting meiosis can safely and reversibly shut down sperm production.

It sounds like calling the treatment “safe” might be a bit of a stretch.

[–] stray@pawb.social 2 points 1 week ago

I think they meant "safe" with regard to reproductive ability. It sounds like they're happy with targeting meiosis, not with using JQ1 specifically.

[–] kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Aren't pretty much all of these medical discoveries from mice?

[–] Redjard@reddthat.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

It's an early step. Good chance it doesn't work well in humans, and many side effects can't be discovered until human trials either.

[–] stray@pawb.social 3 points 1 week ago

The "in mice" part is actually really exciting to me because male pet mice have to be kept solitary to prevent pregnancies and aggression with other males, but they still have social needs. It would be amazing if they could be kept with females full-time with no pregnancy risk.

Would also be nice to keep mixed-mischiefs of rats since their personalities and behaviors are somewhat sexually divergent. You could have a couple busy girls and a couple cuddly boys without having to take turns free roaming.

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

They have no real idea what harm it may cause. Sterilizing people with an unknown method and promising it's 'reversible' is capitalist propaganda.