Researchers have found that targeted delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) can restore sperm production and fertility in genetically infertile male mice. The findings, published today in Stem Cell Reports, demonstrate that transient mRNA treatment restored sperm production and enabled the birth of healthy offspring.
Up to 10% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility, according to World Health Organization estimates, and male factors are the primary cause in about half of those cases. In many instances, male infertility results from genetic defects that disrupt sperm production.
To develop a targeted method to address genetic defects linked to infertility, Takashi Shinohara of Kyoto University, Japan, and his team injected mRNA – a short-lived molecule containing the blueprint of a gene of interest…