# INFERTILITY TESTING OF RECOMBINANT SP-10 VACCINE

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 1993 · $54,234

## Abstract

The primary goal of this grant is to test the anti-fertility potential
of a contraceptive vaccine in female baboons.  The principal ingredient
in the vaccine is an antigen, termed SP-10, existing on the human and
baboon sperm head in association with the acrosomal membranes and
recently cloned from the human testis.  The vaccine will be a fusion
protein construct, containing 248 amino acids of SP-10 linked to 26 kD
of glutathione transferase.  The vaccine will be injected
intramuscularly.

Toward this primary goal, an initial aim will be the genetic engineering
of the SP-10 polypeptide into the pGex expression vector and the
purification by affinity chromatography of pure fusion protein to serve
as the immunogen and for various assays.  To insure that the exact
homology between human and baboon SP-10 is understood, baboon SP-10 will
be cloned and sequenced from baboon testis utilizing cDNA libraries
which we will construct and screen with a human SP-10 nucleotide probe.

Messenger RNA from all major baboon organs will be isolated and probed
by Northern blotting with the human SP-10 probe to determine if any
baboon organ other than testis expresses mRNAs for SP-10.  This dat will
re-inforce immunohistochemical and ELISA data already obtained which
indicate SP-10 is a tissue specific antigen unlikely to elicit
autoimmune reactions.

Fertility trials of the vaccine will be conducted in 15 female baboons
with 15 females receiving the vaccine ingredients minus the SP-10
immunogen.  Following immunization, each baboon will be monitored
through 9 menstrual cycles for evidence of conception and for anti-SP-10
antibody responses in serum and cervial mucus.  Histopathological
examination of baboon organs will be conducted at the conclusion of the
study.  The baboon serum antibodies to SP-10 will be employed to
determine the immunodominant portions of the SP-10 molecule.

The research aims outlined in this proposal follow the direct path to
development of a contraceptive vaccine with potential use in human
females.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2198947
- **Project number:** 3R01HD023789-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** JJG6HU8PA4S5
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN C HERR
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $54,234
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 1988-02-01 → 1995-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2198947

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2198947, INFERTILITY TESTING OF RECOMBINANT SP-10 VACCINE (3R01HD023789-05S1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2198947. Licensed CC0.

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