Male Contraception Research Center Grant

描述（由申请人提供）：世界人口继续以惊人的速度增长，特别是在发展中国家。即使按照每名妇女生育2.5个子女的非常乐观的预测，到2100年，全球人口也将增长到150亿以上。此外，所有怀孕中约有四分之一是意外怀孕，导致数百万例堕胎（美国每年有150万例手术或药物堕胎），全世界每年约有10万名健康的年轻妇女死于堕胎并发症。众所周知，男性将使用避孕药具（目前美国约30%的避孕方法是男性避孕），现有女性避孕方法的安全性和可接受性存在重大问题。因此，开发新的、有效的、安全的、可逆的男性避孕药具是一个极其重要的社会目标。 本申请中提出的工作旨在增加我们对男性生殖过程的基本和临床知识，特别是与避孕相关的知识。我们有五个研究项目：1）口服睾酮用于男性激素避孕（J.阿莫里博士，P.I.），2)精原干细胞自我更新和分化（Dr. R. Braun，P.I.），3)通过环核苷酸磷酸二酯酶调节睾丸和精子功能（Dr.J.Beavo，P.I.），4)视黄酸、Stra8和精原细胞成熟和睾丸功能中的关键因子（M.（格里斯沃尔德，P.I.）和5）男性激素避孕方案对前列腺和心血管的影响（W. Bremner，P.I.）。我们还提出了一个男性避孕研究员和新调查员方案和一个行政核心单位。我们的申请将不同背景和专业培训的优秀研究人员的才能融入生殖生物学的互动研究计划。我们建立了这个中心，以融合精湛的科学与尽快将新的基础知识应用于人类研究的实际目标。我们希望，通过这种方式，我们的工作将满足社会的关键需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): World population continues to increase at a frightening rate, particularly in developing countries. Even at the very optimistic projection of 2.5 children per woman, global population will grow to over 15 billion by year 2100. In addition, approximately one-quarter of all pregnancies are unwanted, leading to millions of abortions (1.5 million surgical or medical abortions annually in the United States) and approximately 100,000 deaths worldwide per year of otherwise healthy young women due to the complications of abortion. It is well established that men will use contraceptives (approximately 30% of all contraception in the U.S. now is accomplished with male methods) and there are substantial problems with the safety and acceptability of existing female methods. Therefore, the development of new, effective, safe, reversible male contraceptives is an extremely important societal goal. The work proposed in this application is designed to increase our basic and clinical knowledge of reproductive processes in the male with particular relevance to contraception. We have five research projects: 1) oral testosterone for male hormonal contraception (Dr. J. Amory, P.I.), 2) spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal and differentiation (Dr. R. Braun, P.I.), 3) regulation of testis and sperm functions by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (Dr. J. Beavo, P.I.), 4) retinoic acid, Stra8, and key factors in the maturation of spermatogonia and the function of the testis (Dr. M. Griswold, P.I.) and 5) prostate and cardiovascular effects of male hormonal contraceptive regimens (Dr. W. Bremner, P.I.). We also propose a Program for Fellows and New Investigators in Male Contraception and an Administration Core Unit. Our application incorporates the talents of outstanding investigators of varied backgrounds and professional training into an interactive research program in reproductive biology. We have structured this Center to meld superb science with the practical goal of applying new basic knowledge as quickly as possible to studies in human beings. We hope that, in this way, our work will address critical needs of society.