In this week’s installment of YJBM Science News, Majo and Roxanna discuss recent Yale-affiliated research about contraceptives, fertility, and immunology! Can our genetic variants help us predict which birth control method would be the most effective? What can the gut microbiome tell us about the immune systems of multiple sclerosis patients before and after undergoing immunotherapy treatment? Join us as we explore not only the answers to these questions, but also as we learn more about the trials and tribulations of data generation!

Papers featured in this episode:

“Pharmacogenomics of the Etonogestrel Contraceptive Implant: A Genome-Wide Association Study of Steady-State Etonogestrel Concentrations” – https://doi.org/10.1097/og9.0000000000000066
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/analyzing-genetics-may-lead-to-better-contraceptive-experiences-for-women/

“Allosteric inhibition of the IZUMO1–JUNO fertilization complex by the naturally occurring antisperm antibody OBF13” – https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2425952122
https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/03/scientists-discover-how-naturally-occurring-mechanism-hampers-fertility

“A single-cell atlas of circulating immune cells over the first 2 months of age in extremely premature infants” – https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adr0942
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/new-insights-into-preterm-infant-immunity-could-inform-care/

“Alterations in Gut Microbiome-Host Relationships After Immune Perturbation in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis” – https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200355
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/gut-microbiome-changes-linked-to-multiple-sclerosis-ms-new-study-finds/

Read more about YJBM at:
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