Alexander N J, Bialy G
Contraceptive Development Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 1994;6(3):273-80. doi: 10.1071/rd9940273.
Recent advances in antigen definition and production have made the development of a contraceptive vaccine more attainable. Such a vaccine must evoke an immune response that blocks an indispensable step in the reproductive process. Vaccine research involves many approaches to fertility prevention. Vaccines are being developed that could interrupt fertility by inhibition of gonadotrophin release, the function of follicle-stimulating hormone or the effects of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG); alternatively, they may prevent fertilization by interfering with the transport of spermatozoa or with sperm-zona pellucida binding. The most advanced prototype is a vaccine based on antibodies to beta hCG. Such vaccines are being studied for clinical efficacy. Many hurdles remain in contraceptive vaccine development. Since the antigens are peptides or small proteins, the resultant immune response is usually moderate, and better adjuvants and delivery systems must be developed to enhance and maintain the immune response. Improvement of the mucosal immune response may be necessary for vaccines incorporating sperm antigens. Research on vaccines that control fertility has resulted in a fascinating base of scientific knowledge that, it is hoped, can be converted into products that will allow another option for individuals who wish to control their fertility.
抗原定义和生产方面的最新进展使避孕疫苗的研发更具可行性。这种疫苗必须引发一种免疫反应，该反应能阻断生殖过程中不可或缺的一个步骤。疫苗研究涉及多种预防生育的方法。正在研发的疫苗可以通过抑制促性腺激素释放、促卵泡激素的功能或人绒毛膜促性腺激素（hCG）的作用来阻断生育；或者，它们可以通过干扰精子运输或精子与透明带结合来防止受精。最先进的原型是一种基于抗β-hCG抗体的疫苗。此类疫苗正在进行临床疗效研究。避孕疫苗研发仍存在许多障碍。由于抗原是肽或小蛋白质，由此产生的免疫反应通常较为温和，因此必须研发更好的佐剂和递送系统来增强和维持免疫反应。对于包含精子抗原的疫苗，可能需要改善黏膜免疫反应。对控制生育疫苗的研究已经形成了一个引人入胜的科学知识基础，希望能够将其转化为产品，为希望控制生育的个人提供另一种选择。
