The Fourth Oliver Bird Lecture Approaches to the Control of Fertility Based on Immunological Phenomena

Contents Introduction Illustrative experiments on fertilization and development in invertebrates III. Immunological antifertility effects in mammals In vitro treatment of spermatozoa Possible selective action of antibodies with respect to sex and other genetic characteristics Aspermatogenesis Adjuvant-immunization of females with seminal materials Sperm-agglutinins in sterile men Immunization with placental and foetal materials Antihormones Naturally occurring antigen-antibody-like systems The blood groups Natural heteroagglutinins Antagglutins Fertilizins and antifertilizins Union of spermatozoon and egg in terms of interaction of receptor substances and pinocytosis References I. INTRODUCTION The investigation of immunological methods of controlling fertility is far from new. Immunological experiments with materials from the reproductive systems of animals date back at least to the end of the last century when Metchnikoff (1899, 1900) injected guinea-pigs with the semen or with the macerated testes of human beings, bulls, guinea-pigs and rabbits. In these original experiments, Metchnikoff found that the serum of the guinea-pig agglutinated and