The prevention of unplanned pregnancy in humans and other mammals is of continuing concern for both the developing and the developed world. A variety of methods and products have been developed for the prevention of pregnancy; these products include: surgical sterilization, condoms, birth control pills containing progestin or a combination of progestin and estrogen just to name a few.

These current methods of contraception suffer from several deficiencies. Sterilization procedures are permanent and birth control pills are available only for women. The most popular form of reversible contraception for men, condoms, is only modestly reliable. Consequently, the need for a more reliable reversible form of male contraception is needed.

More recently, researchers have begun investigating compounds which inhibit spermatogenesis by disrupting junctional complex sites between Sertoli cells and germ cells in the testes.

A group of researchers at University of Kansas have developed novel compounds that demonstrate potent inhibition of spermatogenesis. These compounds are non-hormonal; therefore eliminate some of the potential concerns for undesirable side effects. The same novel compounds are also found to be useful as inhibitors of heat shock 90 proteins (�Hsp90�) - the molecular chaperones responsible for protein folding and maturation in vivo and which have been found at higher levels in cancerous cells than in normal cells. The later property makes these compound also suitable target compounds for anti-cancer treatments.

Advantages:
� Non-hormonal, few side-effects
� 100% Reversible
� Suitable for development of unique dosing regimen

File Number: 03KUMC300 

Web site: http://www.kumc.edu/physiology/tash.html

Other Information: *State of Development* Available for licensing. *Testing* Animal data available.