The results of the study conducted by Swedish scientists promise there might be non-hormonal contraception pills in future that won’t have side effects associated with current hormonal birth control pills. Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Huddinge found a protein that plays a major role in conception. This protein could be used for creating new contraceptive pills to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Luca Jovine, the head of the study, and his research group studied the chemical structure of ZP3 protein found in the coating of the mammalian eggs using X-ray crystallography. It is this protein that binds sperm to get it thought the coating of the egg.
Previous studies show that mice engineered without ZP3 were sterile because their eggs simply could not get into contact with sperm. It is noteworthy that defective ZP3 is also linked with sterility of some women.
Experts claim that their knowledge about the chemical structure of the protein will help to create non-hormonal pills able to block it temporarily, thus, preventing conception.
