Münster (mfm/jg) – Researchers at the Centre for Medical Genetics (CMG) and the Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology (CeRA) at the University of Münster are joining forces to identify the genetic causes of male infertility and thus develop new approaches for non-hormonal contraceptives. To support this work, the researchers have now received $2.5 million in funding from the Gates Foundation.

More than 200 million women worldwide lack access to modern contraceptives. "A promising approach for new contraceptives is to disable male sperm within the female reproductive tract, preventing fertilisation", explains Prof. Timo Strünker from CeRA. "To achieve this, we need to understand precisely how sperm function and which target proteins in the sperm need to be addressed by compounds to prevent pregnancy." Therefore, the researchers will analyse the genetic data of nearly 4,000 infertile men. The team is specifically searching for genetic variants that alter sperm proteins and are linked to infertility: "Understanding the molecular causes of male infertility is essential for contraceptive research”, says Prof. Frank Tüttelmann from the CMG. “It allows us to identify the proteins that are particularly critical for sperm function."

The Centre for Medical Genetics will carry out these large-scale genetic analyses over the next 24 months. Additional support comes from PacBio, a company that manufactures genetic analysis equipment (sequencers), enabling to use long-read genome sequencing. This allows the analysis of complex gene sequences with much greater accuracy. "The number of long-read genomes is unprecedented in Germany", says Prof. Tüttelmann, "and will contribute significantly to the success of the project".

The initiative builds on the previous achievements of Münster researchers in uncovering the genetic causes of male infertility: Over the past ten years, numerous new genes and proteins associated with infertility have already been identified including their molecular function. In addition to Tüttelmann and Strünker, the research team includes Prof. Sabine Kliesch, Dr. Isabell Schumann, Dr. Christoph Brenker, Dr. Maria Schubert, Dr. Martin Fritzsche, Dr. Melanie Lindner, Stephanie Hoogestraat, and Bastian Frenzel.

The project will run for two years. "The results will be made available to the scientific community. In the long term, this will not only support the development of the next generation of contraceptives, but also improve the diagnosis and treatment of male fertility," says Prof. Sabine Kliesch, looking ahead.