Frankfurt researchers find semen facilitates Mpox infection

Researchers from Goethe University and the University Medical Center Frankfurt have discovered that semen can facilitate Mpox infection. The study indicates that proteins in semen form fibers that help the virus attach to human cells more easily.

During experiments involving connective tissue and epidermal cells, researchers found that viruses mixed with semen were more effectively taken up by the cells. Emma Torbica, a doctoral student involved in the study, noted that this provides an explanation for why sexual contact carries a particularly high risk of transmission, especially when semen comes into contact with anal or genital mucous membranes.

While Mpox is primarily transmitted from animals to humans, newer variants can spread between people through close physical contact. The disease often begins with mild, non-specific symptoms before characteristic skin lesions appear. Lead researcher Denisa Bojkova suggested that these findings could lead to new preventative approaches, such as experimental substances designed to disrupt these protein structures and inhibit the virus.