Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have successfully isolated a hormone that has the potential to prevent cats from getting pregnant.
The hormone, known as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), was administered to female cats using a viral vector, preventing both ovulation and conception for at least two years. The research was published in Nature Communications.
AMH is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the ovaries of female mammals, including humans. Previous research conducted by senior author David Pépin showed that when AMH levels surpassed a certain threshold, ovarian follicle growth was suppressed, preventing ovulation and conception. After successfully testing AMH as a contraceptive in rodents, the researchers turned their attention to domestic cats.
They created an adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy vector that carried a modified version of the feline AMH gene, which when injected, caused the cat's muscles to produce the hormone at levels approximately 100 times higher than normal.
In their study, the researchers treated six female cats with the gene therapy at two different doses, while three cats served as controls.
A male cat was introduced to the female colony for mating trials. While all the control cats produced kittens, none of the cats treated with the gene therapy became pregnant. Importantly, the treatment did not negatively impact other hormones like estrogen, and no adverse effects were observed.
The researchers believe that the contraceptive effects of the gene therapy could be long-lasting, as the elevated levels of AMH were maintained for over two years. However, further studies involving a larger number of cats are needed to confirm these findings.
Though the technology to sterilize millions of cats gene therapy is currently lacking, the researchers hope that as gene therapy capabilities expand in humans, it will become feasible to deliver this contraceptive treatment to unowned outdoor cat populations.
Funding for this research was provided by The Michelson Found Animals Foundation, which is offering a $25 million prize to scientists working on a single-treatment nonsurgical sterilization method for cats and dogs.
The foundation aims to support research that could revolutionize animal welfare by providing an alternative to surgical spay and neuter procedures.
Co-authors include Lindsey M. Vansandt, Marie-Charlotte Meinsohn, Guangping Gao, Dan Wang, and William F. Swanson.
Major funding for this research was provided by the Michelson Prize & Grants, a program of The Michelson Found Animals Foundation, co-chaired by Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson, the Joanie Bernard Foundation, and the department of Surgery of the Massachusetts General Hospital.
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