|
In its interview with Georgia Tech alumnus David E. Clapham of Harvard Medical School, The New York Times observed his disclaimer, "I'm not a sperm specialist."
Clapham, EE 74, who received his MD and PhD from Emory University, said his research into sperm happened "by accident."
Working out of a laboratory located at Boston's Children's Hospital, Clapham's research has centered on heart cells and neurons and, well, how sperm functions and new ideas about contraception.
Clapham told the Times that in 1999 the lab was searching the database of the Human Genome Project looking for undiscovered ion channels. A postdoctoral fellow, Dejian Ren, discovered an ion channel that was very different from the hundreds of others — CatSper, found only in the testes and only in the tail of mature sperm.
"That got my attention because this meant that it was doing a very specific job," Clapham said in the interview. The CatSper gene creates the ion channel and held the key to one of the great mysteries of reproduction — how sperm penetrate eggs.
"When sperm get to the egg, they need to crash through the ovum's membrane to deposit their DNA there," he explained. "The way that happens is that at the end of its run, this ion channel brings the sperm calcium, which changes the shape of its tail and turns the shape of its tail into a kind of whip. The sperm is then propelled into hyper drive — pushing it into the egg with 20 times the force of normal swimming. Now, if this ion channel is blocked, there can be no fertilization."
Clapham said his research could lead to a new form of contraception.
"If you find a drug that interferes with the calcium getting to the sperm's tail, you can prevent fertilization," Clapham said. His research with mice has created infertility 100 percent of the time.
The research has had a lukewarm reception in the pharmaceutical industry, Clapham said. "There is a general feeling throughout the industry that reproduction is too risky in terms of potential liability and in terms of controversy."
|
