Gene therapy could replace the surgical sterilization of our four-legged friends: its long-term efficacy and safety has been demonstrated on cats by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who publish the results of the experiment in Nature Communications.
During some studies on the preservation of fertility in cancer patients, researchers led by David Pépin discovered that it is possible to prevent ovulation and conception by increasing the level of anti-Müllerian hormone (naturally produced by both the ovaries in females and the testicles in males). . In 2017, the team was the first to demonstrate the contraceptive potential of this hormone in rodents and in the light of the results obtained, it decided to extend the experiment to female domestic cats.
The gene therapy protocol used involves introducing a slightly tweaked version of the feline gene for anti-Müllerian hormone via a viral vector similar to those already approved for clinical use in humans. “A single injection causes the cat’s muscles to produce the hormone, which is usually only produced by the ovaries, and increases the level of the hormone about 100 times the normal level,” Pépin points out.
The therapy was administered to six cats using two different dosages: after more than two years of monitoring, none of the treated cats had puppies, unlike three other untreated control cats. The suppression of ovulation did not affect other important hormones such as estrogen and no side effects were observed.
Source: Ansa
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