Technologies Used In Development Of Immunocontrace

Technologies Used In Development Of Immunocontraceptive Vaccines.

BY December, 2001 Table of contents: 1. Abstract…………………………………………………………………..……..3 2. Introduction……………………………………………………….…………….3 2.1 What is Immunocontraception and why?.….…………………………….3 2.2 The Zona Pellucida: as vaccine target…………….……………………..5 2.3 Sperm surface antigens as vaccine target……..….…………………..….5 2.4 Hormones as targets for vaccines……….………………………….……6 3. Methods and techniques…………….…………………………………………7 3.1 Antiserum production…………….………………………………………7 3.2 Adjuvants………………………….……………………………………...9 3.3 Delivery sytems……………………….…………………………..……...10 3.4 ELISA………………………………….………………………………..11 3.5 Immunoblotting (Western blotting).….……………………………...….12 3.6 Immunoelectrophoresis and Immunodiffusion.………………………….12 3.7 Radio immunoassay…………………….…………………………………14 4. Discussion………………………….……………………..……………………14 5. References…………………..………………………………………….……..15 Abstract.

The normal approach for individuals wishing to control the number and timing of pregnancy is by using conventional contraceptives such as; The Pill, condoms, surgical sterilization, injectable hormones and chemical spermicides, just to mention a few. Research institutions around the world are now investigating a new approach for controlling the process of fertilization. By utilizing and stimulating the body's own immune response, they are making progress in the development of anti-fertility vaccines, also known as immunocontraceptives.

The time-course of an immune response begins with ...

T helper cell function

Antigens from vaccines, 1900 to 2000, bar graph

The development of anti-fertility vaccines are not only envisaged for use in humans only, but will also be important in controlling wild life populations, such as to limit the detrimental effects pest species have on their surroundings.

Currently there are three main approaches to the development of contraceptive vaccines, all of which aim to turn the body's immune system to act against reproductive components. One approach is to induce an immune response against hormones controlling the development of the embryo, such as (hCG). The other two main approaches are the induction of immunity against gamete-specific antigens found on the surface on spermatozoan or the zona pellucida (ZP), a glycoprotein layer that surrounds the egg cell (Aitken, R. J., et al, 1993). With other words, the immune system ability to recognize and ignore self-molecules has to be "reprogrammed"/manipulated in such a way, to mount an immune response aimed at...