Heena Sharma Blog

A recent study saw scientists trying to explain the importance of a gene in regulating the production of fully-functioning sperm. For the first time, experts have identified the role of the gene, RBMXL2 , which is very similar to a possible infertility gene found on the Y chromosome found only in men. This provided a model for the team to manipulate as the Y chromosome itself is very difficult to analyse. The study, published today in the Journal of eLife, sheds light on why some men may be infertile as RBMXL2 has been shown to be essential to make sperm. Scientists found that deleting the RBMXL2 gene from chromosome 11 blocked sperm production and this paves the way for further exciting research in this area. " Male infertility is a poorly understood topic, and this study helps us to understand why some men might become infertile. This is important since many couples suffer from infertility and it can cause psychological stress, and also have economic consequences

According to a research, a longer duration of infertility leads to lower sperm count and other parameters of impaired sperm production in infertile men. The researchers at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele stated that despite regular sexual intercourse, approximately 15 per cent of couples to fail to achieve a wanted pregnancy within a 12-month period. The findings appeared in the Journal of Epilepsia. "The results suggest that the duration of infertility should be considered a potential risk factor for impaired sperm parameters in infertile men. Also, infertile couples should be made aware of the associations found in this study," said the lead author of the study, Luca Boeri. Prolonged infertility has generally been considered as a psycho-social stress that may lead to poor marital adjustment for an infertile couple and decrease their quality of life. Read More Business Standard