There are many new methods against male infertility. Finally, it seems that crocodile sperm may be useful. That's right: Australian scientists conducted a study on marine crocodiles in which they were able to identify a group of proteins that give sperm the ability to move and recognize eggs, and which are very similar to those found in humans.
Obviously, the factors that cause infertility can be different, and therefore the solutions must be different. But the results of the research conducted by the University of Newcastle (UK) and published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they look really positive. «We hope - said Brett Nixon, coordinator of the study - to use the crocodile as model to understand the basic functions of sperm and to see if we can apply this discovery in the treatment of infertility in our species ».
For the tests, sperm from various crocodile specimens was collected and used. The "defects" that lead the sperm not to fertilize the egg are linked to its shape (unsuitable for centering the egg) or vitality. By studying how the crocodile sperm works, we will soon understand how the human sperm also works in cases of infertility problems.
