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Review
. 2024 Oct;91(10):e23773.
doi: 10.1002/mrd.23773.

David Garbers and the Birth of cAMP Biology in Mammalian Sperm

Pablo E Visconti  1 , Lonny R Levin  2 , Jochen Buck  2
Affiliations
Review

David Garbers and the Birth of cAMP Biology in Mammalian Sperm

Pablo E Visconti et al. Mol Reprod Dev. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Dr. David Garbers made many impactful contributions to science and vastly improved our understanding of sperm biology. In this review, we focus on his identification of a key role for the second messenger cAMP in mammalian sperm. As a graduate student David discovered that sperm motility, which is essential for sperm to fertilize the egg, is under the control of the (at the time) recently identified, prototypical second messenger cAMP. Fast-forwarding to the present, agents which turn off sperm's ability to generate cAMP and block sperm motility are being investigated as potential nonhormonal contraceptives for men and women. Should these efforts prove successful, Dave's discoveries will prove to be the spark which ignited a revolution in human health.

Keywords: cAMP; contraception; motility; sperm.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: PEV has no conflict to declare. JB & LRL are co-founders of Sacyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which licensed sAC inhibitors for developing novel methods of contraception.

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