... may work for pets, too

It may no longer take surgery to prevent unwanted litters of puppies and kittens. Herr and post-doctoral fellow Scott Coonrod are working to develop a contraceptive vaccine for pets.

The researchers are using genetically engineered proteins, which when injected into female animals, will induce an immune response that affects the egg and interrupts the cascade of events that occurs during fertilization. The vaccine could reduce the number of unwanted pets who end up abandoned or destroyed if they are not adopted through animal shelters, Herr said. The research also could lead to a new approach to contraception relevant to many species.