Assignment:
Select a Science Daily article and write a 500-word summary of its findings. Give a review/ summary.
Topic: Article Review
Title: Genetic Alteration Linked With Human Male Infertility
Infertility effects one in every six couples who are trying to conceive. In most of those cases the man has been identified as the main factor. According to Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine 10% of all men in the United States who are attempting to conceive suffer from infertility (Understanding Male Infertility...par 1). Infertility is defined as a couple's inability to achieve pregnancy in particular the biological inability of a person to contribute to the conception. One of the major causes of male infertility is due to the non production of sperm either in a man in making sperm, but the sperm can't get out, or men who have a production problem, meaning they are not able to produce sperm at all.
In an article that first appear in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers discovered that alterations in a certain gene may cause disrupt sperm production in men. The scientists focus on 7 men who were experiencing severe problems in producing sperm out of the 315 candidates who were seeking infertility treatment. In study the gene NR5A1 researchers were able to find that mutations in this gene impaired the ability of a certain protein that was essential to the production of reproductive genes. The mutations were associated with altered levels of sex hormones. According to the author of the article Dr. Ken McElreave, "Many genes are known to be essential for the production of sperm, but there are surprisingly few single gene changes that have been conclusively demonstrated to cause a failure of sperm production in humans" (Genetic Alteration Linked...par 2). Due to the findings of his study and the other researchers who assisted, they were able to scientifically identified that the gene known as NR5A1 might be involved in some cases of male infertility.
The study in the article appears to be sound based on the scientific method that we learn in class. The research included both two groups of subjects, men who where seeking infertility treatment and those who were not. In contrast to the findings that men who experience infertility where link to a specific genetic alteration as one of the causes, 2000 other men who were part of a control group who did not experience reproduction problems did not have similar genetic alterations. The researchers conclude that approximately 4% of men with otherwise unexplained failure to produce sperm carry mutations in the NR5A1 gene (Genetic Alteration Linked...par5).
I selected this article, because nearly 30 years ago a British scientist succeeded in accomplishing fertilization of human egg cells in test tubes in an effort to treat infertility. His accomplishment has successful produce approximately four million individuals. Due to his efforts his contributions represented a milestone in the development of modern medicine. This week, Robert Edward who developed human in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy was awarded The Nobel Prize in the field of Medicine. In-vitro fertilization is a safe and effective therapy in which 20-30% of fertilized eggs lead to the birth of a child. Today, Robert Edwards' vision is a reality and brings joy to infertile people all over the world (Press Release...par 14).
In conclusion, although the researchers did not find a cure for male infertility their findings were a breakthrough in providing new insight into one of the causes of male infertility which may one day lead to cure for infertility.
Citations:
Cell Press (2010, September 30). Genetic alteration linked with human male infertility. ScienceDaily.
"The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - Press Release".
Understanding Male Infertility. (1999).