Vaccines against fertility

The suitability of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-based birth-control vaccines

It has been widely hoped that immunological methods of fertility regulation by active immunization against specific antigens of the oocyte, sperm, zygote and early embryo, and the placental pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), will provide a means to control the problem of worldwide population growth. The most advanced candidate vaccines are based on hCG immunogens and have entered clinical trials. However, during the past few years, increasing evidence has emerged that the current approaches using hCG as the target molecule may have some major drawbacks. On the basis of their recent findings, Stephan Dirnhofer and colleagues raise doubts on the suitability, safety and efficacy of gonadotropin-based immunological contraceptive vaccines.