Clues from mice could help explain why women face a higher risk of autoimmune disorders
Researchers have long known that women are more likely to develop autoimmune disorders than men, though they’ve struggled to fully understand why. Now a new study in mice suggests a key part of the answer may be that an RNA molecule that’s indispensable for female survival steers the body toward immune friendly fire.
A team led by Stanford scientists found that Xist, a molecule that teams up with proteins to keep female cells from activating a double (and deadly) dose of X chromosome genes, can trigger antibodies that latch onto complexes of the RNA and its protein partners.
