Control of fertilization by immunization with peptide fragments of sperm specific LDH-C4.

The use of a well-defined, synthetic antigen is essential to progress in developing a vaccine for fertility control and to establish with certainty the utility of such technology. The studies with LDH-C4 are consistent with the feasibility of using a synthetic antigen in a vaccine to control fertility. LDH-C4 remains the best-developed candidate for future studies. Immunization with LDH-C4 does suppress fertility, and the complete biochemical characterization of this isozyme is well underway. These studies will provide a wealth of synthetic antigens to substitute for the natural product in experiments to determine whether immunologic contraception is appropriate and desirable for wide-scale application in human beings.