Sperm protein discovery may help infertility treatment

A SPERM protein named after a Japanese shrine dedicated to happy marriage could open up new avenues of infertility treatment, scientists yesterday said.

The protein, named Izumo by the Japanese researchers who discovered it, may also provide new methods of contraception.

Izumo Taisha, the most ancient Shinto temple in Japan, attracts married couples who go there to ask the deity Okuninushi for love and happiness.