Epididymis- Specific Defensins for Evaluating and Regulating Male Fertility
- Summary
- The present invention relates to the discovery that epididymis-specific defensins play an important role in regulating sperm motility and therefore male fertility. Provided are methods for evaluating male fertility based on the level of epididymis-specific defensin(s) bound to sperm, kits for evaluating male fertility, and methods for enhancing or suppressing fertility in a male by regulating the level of epididymis-specific defensin(s) and the binding between sperm and the defensin(s). Application: The invention relates to male infertility, and in particular to assays for predicting fertility in animals including humans. The invention further relates to the methods of neutralization or downregulation of defensins for male contraception and the methods to enhance defensins production or to directly apply defensin polypeptides to spermatozoa for treatment of infertility. Commercial Potential: 10-15% of couples worldwide are infertile and most of them go through various forms of diagnosis and treatment. No male contraception method is commercially available worldwide.
- Supplementary Information
- Inventor: Chan, Hsiao Chang | Zhou, Chenxi | Ng, Chuen Pei | Chung, Yiu Wa
Priority Number: US7494780B2
IPC Current: G01N003353 | A61K004800 | C12Q000168 | G01N003350 | G01N0033567
US Class: 4350071 | 4350072 | 43500791 | 43500792 | 436514 | 436518
Assignee Applicant: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Title: Epididymis-specific defensin for evaluating and regulating male fertility
Usefulness: Epididymis-specific defensin for evaluating and regulating male fertility
Summary: (M1) is useful for evaluating fertility in a male. The method is useful for regulating male fertility (all claimed).
Novelty: Evaluating fertility in male, involves obtaining from male biological sample comprising sperm suspected of being bound by defensin EP2D, determining amount of defensin EP2D bound to sperm and comparing with standard control
- Industry
- Biomedical
- Sub Category
- Rehabilitation
- Application No.
- 04/MED/168 Inventor: Professor H C CHAN, Department of Physiology, et. al Patent Status: US Patent Pending
- Country/Region
- Hong Kong
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