Overview
- Cornell researchers, whose paper appeared Tuesday in PNAS, used the research molecule JQ1 to pause sperm production by interrupting meiosis in male mice.
- The three-week course stopped sperm output completely, and after dosing ended, sperm production began to return within six weeks as treated males later sired healthy, fertile pups.
- The method left spermatogonial stem cells intact, disrupted a phase called prophase I, and blocked gene activity needed for spermiogenesis, the step that shapes mature sperm.
- JQ1 is not a candidate for people due to a short half-life and possible neurological side effects, so the work serves as a proof of concept rather than a ready-to-test drug.
- The team is testing three meiosis gene targets for reversible control, considering delivery ideas like a quarterly injection or a patch, and planning a company within about two years while tackling safety studies and the blood–testes barrier.