Sexual Health
What are the latest contraceptive methods? New contraceptive pills can prevent miscarriage
Post Date July, 25 2023
Researchers from Imperial College London, UK, published a paper in the recent journal Nature Medicine and found that the levels of an enzyme called SGK1 in the female endometrium directly affect women's fertility, with high levels leading to infertility and low levels leading to miscarriage. Discoveries not only contribute to the research and treatment of infertility or habitual miscarriage, but also contribute to the development of new contraceptive pills.
Infertility is a huge concern for many families in society. Research shows that nearly one sixth of women find it difficult to conceive due to various reasons, and 1% of women are accustomed to miscarriage after pregnancy.
Researchers from Imperial College London in the UK studied the physiological indicators of 106 women with unexplained infertility or habitual miscarriage. Their distress was directly related to the level of SGK1 in the endometrium. Women with unexplained infertility had higher levels of SGK1 in the endometrium than the general population, while those with habitual miscarriage had lower levels of SGK1. Through further mouse experiments, researchers found that during pregnancy, the level of SGK1 in the endometrium of mice decreased. During this period, injecting a copy of the SGK1 gene into mouse endometrial cells to increase the protein level prevented the mice from conceiving. If the expression of the SGK1 gene in the mice was cut off and its level was reduced, the mice would have no problem conceiving, but the endometrium would weaken and the uterus would bleed and miscarry.
Researchers say that as a molecular switch, the level of SGK1 in endometrial cells directly affects women's fertility and is crucial for successful pregnancy. Infertility women can improve the success rate of artificial pregnancy by reducing the level of SGK1 in endometrial cells with medication before artificial pregnancy. Improving SGK1 levels can be seen as a new contraceptive method that can lead to the development of new contraceptive pills.
