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John Aitken (biologist)

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John Aitken
Born (1947-09-04) 4 September 1947 (age 77)
Bath, England
Alma mater
Known for
Research in human reproductive medicine
Awards2012  NSW Scientist of the Year, 2016  Carl G. Hartman Award, 2021  Clarke Medal
Scientific career
FieldsResearcher, andrologist/reproductive biologist
Institutions
Doctoral advisorRoger Short

Robert John Aitken (born 4 September 1947)[1] is a British reproductive biologist, widely known for identifying oxidative stress as a significant contribution to infertility and its actions on human sperm function. He also made substantial contributions to clinical practice translation in male reproductive health, notably the development of new contraceptive vaccine.

He was born in Bath, England but moved to Australia in 1997, where he took Chair of Biological Sciences at the University of Newcastle,[2] then nominated to Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Medicine and Laureate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Newcastle since 2013.[3] He is currently Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh,[4] the Australian Academy of Science[5] and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences,[6] a former president of the International Society of Andrology.[7] Aitken also founded and directed the Priority Research Centre in Reproduction at the University of Newcastle, where he and his colleagues work on a broad spectrum of reproductive issues from conception to parturition.

Aitken has received many honours for his contributions to science throughout his career, including the Carl G. Hartman Award and the 2012 NSW Scientist. Aitken is the most cited author of several biology journals, particularly in the field of Andrology: Reproduction, Molecular Human Reproduction, International Journal of Andrology, Journal of Andrology. [8]

Early life and education

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Aitken was born in Bath,[9] in England, on 4 September 1947.[1] Born into a family of real estate agents in Devon, he attended Barnstaple Boys Grammar School,[9] but quit at the age of 16 to follow his parents' footsteps and become an estate agent.[9] After six months of selling houses to the semi-rural residents of Barnstaple, Aitken decided to return to school.[9] He then re-enrolled at his former school to study art, English, and geography, but they were all full, so he had no choice but to study chemistry, botany, and zoology, despite his initial intention to avoid science.[9]

Aitken graduated from the University of London, where he received a Bachelor of Science (Special Honours) in 1967.[3] While at university, he studied zoology, specifically embryology,[10] which made him interested in reproductive biology, prompting him to pursue a Master's degree in Embryology and Mammalian Reproduction from the University College of North Wales in 1969.[3][2]

He continued his post-graduate studies focusing on wild animal reproduction in Veterinary Clinical Studies at the University of Cambridge under Professor Roger Short's supervision.[2]

First scientific papers

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In 1971, Aitken's first paper, "Ultrastructural changes in the uterine glands of the Roe deer during delayed implantation” was published in the Journal of Physiology.[11] After 4 years working with Dr Roger Short, Aitken completed his thesis,[12] and received a PhD for research on reproductive study in roe deer from the University of Cambridge in 1973.[3]

Scientific career

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1973–1976: first start on research career

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After Cambridge, Aitken started a postdoctoral position at the University of Edinburgh's Institute of Animal Genetics,[3] working collaboratively with Anne McLaren, a graduate from the University of Oxford.[2] However, for the first 12 months at Edinburgh, he had not done any outstanding research due to transformations in study models from descriptive on wild animals to mechanistic approaches using the mouse, as well as changes in laboratories.[2] Despite initial difficulties, he became familiar with new study models of in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer in the second year.[2] In later years, combining these techniques with electrophoretic analysis of proteins, his publication rate rose dramatically[2] and was being cited by other scientists at that time.[13]

WHO mission

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In late 1975, Aitken was invited to study problems associated with fertility regulation at the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Human Reproduction Unit in Geneva.[3] As consulting scientists of WHO, he and Mike Harper[2] conducted several reviews on fertility control strategies, which help prevent or disrupt implantation.[14]

Returning from the WHO informative sessions, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bordeaux for 1 year[3] before continuing his research activities at the University of Edinburgh in September 1977.[3][2]

1977–1981: human reproductive study

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Despite a short period at WHO, Aitken had the opportunity to consider all the problems that concern human health, particular infertility issue, during his time here, which prompted him to pursue research in human reproductive biology.[15]

In 1977, Aitken had been appointed to the first Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health at University of Edinburgh, where he and his team focused on the biochemistry of implantation.[2] During his early days at the newly founded centre, he found an advanced technique for examining proteins and carbohydrates more precisely during the pre-ovulatory period to study hormonal control of implantation.[16] Despite early achievements, his team had suspended all research activities due to material shortage from gynaecology wards.[2]

MRC Centre for Reproductive Health
Edinburgh Medical School, where Aitken spent over 25 years doing the reproductive study.

1982–1998: initiative in andrology

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After months of waiting for clinical supplies, Aitken took the lead in Andrology with Roger Short and David Mortimer's encouragement,[2] despite the fact that the discipline was still in its infancy around the 1950s.[17] With this transition in research styles, he could gain direct access without relying on his clinical colleagues' supply,[2] thus solving the need for clinical materials. In 1982, he was promoted to senior scientist at the Medical Research Council;[3] however, it was initially difficult since he and his team were all obscure about how they could influence this field.[2] After few years with renovated laboratory facilities, Aitken started to focus his future study on clinical research into male contraceptives, androgen physiology, and male infertility, especially molecular mechanisms that regulate sperm function.[2][18]

Aitken remained at the University of Edinburgh for most of the 1980s to 1990s. It was there that he discovered an abnormally free radical attack in failures of fertilisation[19] and later did research on the relationship between reactive oxygen species and their effects on impaired sperm function.[20] He also proposed new techniques in contraception that had helped prevent sexually transmitted diseases and treat male infertility.[21] These contributions laid the foundation for the reproductive studies done in the latter half of the twentieth century and later.[22][23]

Oxidative stress

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During the time at the University of Edinburgh, Aitken worked with multiple antibodies to analyse their effects on fertilisation and human sperm function.[24] When he gave the administration of A23187 to spermatozoa from normal fertile and oligospermia, he discovered a decline in fertilisation rates at a higher dose, which reduced sperm motility.[25] In attempt to explain the cellular basis of defective sperm function association in a 1987 paper in the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, he found a sudden burst of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with the free radical attack in male infertility.[26] The hyperactive production of ROS causes peroxidative damage to the sperm plasma membrane, which is known as oxidative stress, resulting in loss of sperm function.[23]

The discovery was later acknowledged by thousands of scientists as a foundational concept in studying oxygen species associated pathophysiology.[27] Aitken's paper had expanded on the molecular modifications of oxidants in male infertility and resulted in new therapeutic intervention methods to maintain reproductive function.[28][29]

Contraceptive vaccine

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Besides discovering oxidative stress, Aitken also improved the male contraceptive vaccine in later years.[21] His paper in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 1990 proposed 3 possible targets, including hCG, zona pellucida and sperm surface for contraception development.[30] This research provided the foundation for designing a long-lasting and reversible form of contraceptives, providing an effective method to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases and control the world's growing population.[21][31]

1998–2004: emigration to Australia

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The University of Cambridge awarded Aitken a Doctor of Science (ScD) in 1998 to recognise his achievements in gamete biology.[32] At the same time, he got a phone call from the University of Newcastle, inviting him to take up the Chair of Biological Sciences. He first declined because he mistook Newcastle for Newcastle upon Tyne, but then agreed after learning that the university is in Australia.[2] It was here that he later took part in several important roles such as Head of School, Director of an ARC Centre of Excellence then Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle.[33]

Aitken has been working at University of Newcastle since 1998.

While serving high positions at the University of Newcastle, Aitken continued his research career on the reproductive studies. He and his colleagues conducted further research on the effects of oxidative stress on the physiological and functional integrity of human sperm.[34] They also researched related oxidative stress problems, such as genetic alterations in male infertility, which culminated in gene mutations, discussing the possible health issues of the next generation from couples using assisted reproductive technology.[35]

He and his colleagues continued to research safe and reliable contraception vaccinations for controlling human fertility. Their study included developing the potential contraceptive potential of ZP3 peptides[36] and other chemical compositions of these contraceptive agents, implying the potential effectiveness of the anti-hCG antibodies.[37]

During his early years in Australia, Aitken attempted to diverge his studies from human reproductive science.[2] He released articles that helped identify diseases in various Australian species, including Tammar Wallaby and Brushtail possum.[38] In addition, he discovered Ehrlichia platys in dogs in Australia, which had not previously been found in Australian animals.[39] However, after few years, he decided to return to andrology and the pursuit of understanding the cell biology of spermatozoa.[2]

2005–2018

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According to Google Scholar, this is the period where Aitken's papers were receiving an increasing number of citations.[40] During this time, Aitken and his team carried out some studies to identify different causes affecting male reproductive health. They found that environmental conditions such as smoking,[41] toxins, and mobile radiation[42] contribute to various health issues. These not simply affect male fertility by causing oxidative stress, but they also cause DNA damage, increasing the risk of a man's children developing infertility or cancer.[41]

Along with the studies on DNA integrity, the effect of radiofrequency radiation[42] on fertility, contraceptive[37] and fertility preservation in patients, Aitken has been working on molecular markers of oxidative stress and developing sensitive methods to measure reactive oxygen species generation by cells. Their discovery showed the effectiveness of numerous diagnostic techniques, such as chemiluminescence, spectrophotometry, and flow cytometry, as an indicator of oxidative stress, emphasizing the general significance of mitochondrial dysregulation in impaired sperm activity.[43]

Despite not gaining much success in the animal study, his contribution to developing immunocontraception on animals ranging from horses, sub-mammalian organisms to annelid worms, oysters, and fish enabled the development of a nonsurgical sterilization technique. In 2015, he received a patent for his "Method for reducing the Reproductive Potential of an Animal" while working with Eileen McLaughlin.[44] His invention revolutionized Australian horse breeding industry, which provided a new method of controlling the horse population and increase their value.[45]

2018–current

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In more recent years, Aitken has been focusing on translational research in male contraception and male infertility. Since 2016, he has been working alongside Memphasis to develop "Felix", a device which uses a patented cell separation technology to more gently and effectively separate sperm from semen samples.[46] This project seeks to increase the collection of vital, stable sperm during the crucial early stages of the IVF process.[47]

Awards and honours

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Awards

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  • 1986–87: Walpole Prize for fertility research, Society for Reproduction and Fertility[10]
  • 2006: Faculty Award for Research Excellence, University of Newcastle[33]
  • 2011: Excellence in Innovation, University of Newcastle[33]
  • 2012: NSW Scientist of the Year[48]
  • 2016: Carl G. Hartman Award, Society for the Study of Reproduction, USA[49]
  • 2021: Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales[50]

Membership in professional societies

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Other interests

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Aitken's cultural interests go beyond science.[9]

Music

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Before deciding to pursue a career as a scientist, music was his greatest passion.[9] He played the guitar most of the time during his time at the University of London and joined the university's folk music club. He loved the music of Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle Orchestra and especially Bob Dylan.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Aitken RJ". Linked Data Service, LC Name Authority File (LCNAF). The Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Aitken RJ (September 2015). "Lessons learned in Andrology: revelations on a road less traveled". Andrology. 3 (5): 805–8. doi:10.1111/andr.12087. PMID 26311338.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i ORCID. "Robert John Aitken (0000-0002-9152-156X)". Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID). Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Professor Robert John Aitken FRSE – The Royal Society of Edinburgh". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Professor John Aitken". Australian Academy of Science. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Fellowship". AAHMS – Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  7. ^ a b "ISA Officers | International Society of Andrology". Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  8. ^ "R. J. Aitken citation rankings". Exaly. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Phillips N (18 January 2013). "Using science to give birth to a better world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b Phillips N (14 November 2012). "Thinking about sex all the time becomes an honour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  11. ^ Aitken RJ, Burton J, Hawkins J, Kerr-Wilson R, Short RV, Steven DH (September 1973). "Histological and ultrastructural changes in the blastocyst and reproductive tract of the roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, during delayed implantation". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 34 (3): 481–93. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0340481. PMID 4354893.
  12. ^ Aitken RJ (July 1974). "Delayed implantation in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 39 (1): 225–33. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0390225. PMID 4851283.
  13. ^ "Scopus preview – Scopus – Welcome to Scopus". www.scopus.com. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  14. ^ Aitken RJ, Harper MJ (September 1977). "New methods for the regulation of implantation". Contraception. 16 (3): 227–41. doi:10.1016/0010-7824(77)90022-1. PMID 410587.
  15. ^ "Top science award for sexual health scientist". www.abc.net.au. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  16. ^ Maathuis JB, Aitken RJ (March 1978). "Cyclic variation in concentrations of protein and hexose in human uterine flushings collected by an improved technique". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 52 (2): 289–95. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0520289. PMID 633215.
  17. ^ Isidori A (2001). "[The history of modern andrology]". Medicina Nei Secoli. 13 (2): 255–68. PMID 12374107.
  18. ^ Aitken RJ, Irvine DS, Wu FC (February 1991). "Prospective analysis of sperm-oocyte fusion and reactive oxygen species generation as criteria for the diagnosis of infertility". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 164 (2): 542–51. doi:10.1016/s0002-9378(11)80017-7. PMID 1992700.
  19. ^ Aitken RJ, Clarkson JS, Fishel S (July 1989). "Generation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and human sperm function". Biology of Reproduction. 41 (1): 183–97. doi:10.1095/biolreprod41.1.183. PMID 2553141.
  20. ^ Aitken, R. John; Jones, Keith T.; Robertson, Sarah A. (2012). "Reactive Oxygen Species and Sperm Function—In Sickness and In Health". Journal of Andrology. 33 (6): 1096–1106. doi:10.2164/jandrol.112.016535. PMID 22879525.
  21. ^ a b c Aitken RJ (1983). "New techniques in contraception: gossypol, vaccines and GnRH analogues". Proceedings of the Annual Symposium of the Eugenics Society. 19: 1–18. PMID 6366784.
  22. ^ Griveau, J. F.; Lannou, D. Le (1997). "Reactive oxygen species and human spermatozoa: physiology and pathology". International Journal of Andrology. 20 (2): 61–69. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2605.1997.00044.x. ISSN 1365-2605. PMID 9292315.
  23. ^ a b Tremellen, Kelton (1 May 2008). "Oxidative stress and male infertility—a clinical perspective". Human Reproduction Update. 14 (3): 243–258. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmn004. ISSN 1355-4786. PMID 18281241.
  24. ^ Dor J, Rudak E, Aitken RJ (May 1981). "Antisperm antibodies: their effect on the process of fertilization studied in vitro". Fertility and Sterility. 35 (5): 535–41. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(16)45496-8. PMID 7227569.
  25. ^ Aitken RJ, Ross A, Hargreave T, Richardson D, Best F (10 September 1984). "Analysis of human sperm function following exposure to the ionophore A23187. Comparison of normospermic and oligozoospermic men". Journal of Andrology. 5 (5): 321–9. doi:10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00796.x. PMID 6438035.
  26. ^ Aitken RJ, Clarkson JS (November 1987). "Cellular basis of defective sperm function and its association with the genesis of reactive oxygen species by human spermatozoa". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 81 (2): 459–69. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0810459. PMID 2828610.
  27. ^ Moazamian R, Polhemus A, Connaughton H, Fraser B, Whiting S, Gharagozloo P, Aitken RJ (June 2015). "Oxidative stress and human spermatozoa: diagnostic and functional significance of aldehydes generated as a result of lipid peroxidation". Molecular Human Reproduction. 21 (6): 502–15. doi:10.1093/molehr/gav014. PMID 25837702.
  28. ^ Aitken RJ, Clarkson JS (1988). "Significance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in defining the efficacy of sperm preparation techniques". Journal of Andrology. 9 (6): 367–76. doi:10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01067.x. PMID 3215823.
  29. ^ Agarwal A, Roychoudhury S, Bjugstad KB, Cho CL (October 2016). "Oxidation-reduction potential of semen: what is its role in the treatment of male infertility?". Therapeutic Advances in Urology. 8 (5): 302–318. doi:10.1177/1756287216652779. PMC 5004233. PMID 27695529.
  30. ^ Aitken RJ (July 1990). "Contraceptive vaccine development". European Journal of Pharmacology. 183 (1): 13. doi:10.1016/0014-2999(90)91256-B.
  31. ^ Wallace, Natasha (25 August 2013). "Experts hope new contraceptive will cut abortion rates". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  32. ^ a b "John Aitken". SRB. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  33. ^ a b c d e "Staff Profile". www.newcastle.edu.au. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  34. ^ Twigg J, Fulton N, Gomez E, Irvine DS, Aitken RJ (June 1998). "Analysis of the impact of intracellular reactive oxygen species generation on the structural and functional integrity of human spermatozoa: lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation and effectiveness of antioxidants". Human Reproduction. 13 (6): 1429–36. doi:10.1093/humrep/13.6.1429. PMID 9688366.
  35. ^ Aitken RJ, Krausz C (October 2001). "Oxidative stress, DNA damage and the Y chromosome". Reproduction. 122 (4): 497–506. doi:10.1530/rep.0.1220497. hdl:2158/778616. PMID 11570956.
  36. ^ Paterson M, Wilson MR, Jennings ZA, van Duin M, Aitken RJ (April 1999). "Design and evaluation of a ZP3 peptide vaccine in a homologous primate model". Molecular Human Reproduction. 5 (4): 342–52. doi:10.1093/molehr/5.4.342. PMID 10321806.
  37. ^ a b McLaughlin EA, Holland MK, Aitken RJ (August 2003). "Contraceptive vaccines". Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy. 3 (5): 829–41. doi:10.1517/14712598.3.5.829. PMID 12880382. S2CID 24838026.
  38. ^ Sidhu KS, Mate KE, Gunasekera T, Veal D, Hetherington L, Baker MA, et al. (January 2004). "A flow cytometric assay for global estimation of tyrosine phosphorylation associated with capacitation of spermatozoa from two marsupial species, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)". Reproduction. 127 (1): 95–103. doi:10.1530/rep.1.00073. PMID 15056774.
  39. ^ Brown GK, Martin AR, Roberts TK, Aitken RJ (August 2001). "Detection of Ehrlichia platys in dogs in Australia". Australian Veterinary Journal. 79 (8): 554–8. doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2001.tb10747.x. PMID 11599817.
  40. ^ "Robert John Aitken". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  41. ^ a b Aitken RJ, De Iuliis GN (June 2007). "Origins and consequences of DNA damage in male germ cells". Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 14 (6): 727–33. doi:10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60676-1. PMID 17579989.
  42. ^ a b Aitken RJ, Bennetts LE, Sawyer D, Wiklendt AM, King BV (June 2005). "Impact of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation on DNA integrity in the male germline". International Journal of Andrology. 28 (3): 171–9. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00531.x. PMID 15910543.
  43. ^ Aitken RJ, Smith TB, Lord T, Kuczera L, Koppers AJ, Naumovski N, et al. (March 2013). "On methods for the detection of reactive oxygen species generation by human spermatozoa: analysis of the cellular responses to catechol oestrogen, lipid aldehyde, menadione and arachidonic acid". Andrology. 1 (2): 192–205. doi:10.1111/j.2047-2927.2012.00056.x. PMID 23316012.
  44. ^ contact=+61 2 6283 2999, scheme=AGLSTERMS AglsAgent; corporateName=IP Australia; address=PO Box 200 Woden ACT 2606 (1 August 2015). "Source IP". sourceip.ipaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 26 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ "Newcastle scientist honoured for fertility work". www.abc.net.au. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  46. ^ "'Felix' to transform fertility for millions of couples worldwide". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  47. ^ "Hydrix and Memphasys awarded 2020 Good Design Awards for the Felix™ ART/IVF technology". www.hydrix.com. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Honour Roll – NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer". www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  49. ^ "Carl G. Hartman Award". www.ssr.org. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  50. ^ "Clarke Medal". The Royal Society of NSW. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
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