Protein that may offer clue to immune infertility in men identified

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered a human protein, radical radial spoke protein 44 (RSP44), which can offer insight into immune infertility - a disorder in which immune systems wage war on sperm in both men and women.

Immune infertility, that prevents many prospective parents from conceiving, is one of 80 autoimmune disorders, a group that includes better-known diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes.

The discovery may help pinpoint what molecules help the immune system in attacking sperm.