published in the proceedings of the royal society b , the study exposed the sperm of eight men to the cervical mucus of nine women undergoing infertility treatment in a variety of cervical mucus conditions and measured sperm motility, viability and hyperactivation in each male–female combination. all of the individuals studied were mapped genetically to see what genetic combinations were most likely to pair up.
in nature, mammals typically choose mating partners that are genetically very different, providing any offspring with a set of immune-boosting genes that will complement their own set. they opt for mates that are human leukocyte antigen (hla) dissimilar, meaning they have different proteins that help the immune system detect and regulate viruses and bacteria in the body. scientists believe this is nature’s way of ensuring that the immune systems of offspring are as robust as possible.
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“it is possible that some parental hla [gene] combinations cause complete conception failure, but this may be rather rare,” said jukka kekäläinen, an author and associate professor, university of eastern finland . “however, i find it likely that demonstrated genetic mismatch often can reduce the chances of successful conception. in practice, this could mean that genetically incompatible partners have increased risk to end up in infertility treatments.”
the scientists believe that this new research holds promise for infertile couples, as genetic compatibility may become a factor in how infertility is diagnosed and treated. approximately 16 per cent (or one in six) couples in canada experience infertility, according to statistics canada.
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