REMOVING tiny caps of enzymes from sperm heads could boost the efficiency of some fertility treatments. ICSI, which involves injecting whole sperm cells into eggs, has become a popular option for infertile couples when standard IVF has failed.
But Kazuto Morozumi and Ryuzo Yanagimachi at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine wondered whether hydrolysing enzymes in the sperm cap, or acrosome, could harm the early embryo. These chemicals are usually needed to break down the egg wall, and under natural conditions wouldn’t get into the egg at all.
They injected mouse eggs with varying numbers of sperm, with or…
