Novel Approaches for Contraception: Reflections and Forecast

resentation Description:

In the past 50 years tremendous progress has being made in chemistry, biology and information technology. But not much has being translated into the world of contraceptives. The popularity of the pill since its introduction in the 60’ has held up remarkably well. Until now, development of contraceptives has been founded on experimentally based knowledge of the roles of specific molecules in reproduction. This has led to considerable success for contraceptive interference with hormone-mediated pathways leading to gamete production and/or reproductive behavior. The next generation of contraceptives will be based on the identification of novel molecules essential for reproductive processes. Identification of the genes responsible for infertility, reproductive process, and the pathways in which these genes function, will advance the fields of reproduction research and medicine. Importantly, this has potential to reveal novel human contraceptive targets. Recent scientific and technological advances in genomics, proteomics, new materials, and new drug delivery systems, along with a new understanding of reproductive biology offer the promise of new, safe, and effective forms of contraception. Also to keep in mind some novel approaches to male contraception also require identification of “novel” (meaning previously unsuspected) proteins critical for male reproduction. For this reason, intense effort is currently devoted to identification of transcriptomes and proteomes of male germ cells and accessory reproductive organs.