2024-02-02 19:59:51
Women are four times more likely to contract autoimmune diseases than men, probably because of the X chromosome.
A new study published Thursday in the journal Cell suggests that it is a “complex” that regulates gene activity in people with two X chromosomes that would predispose them to autoimmune diseases.
When suffering from an autoimmune disease, the person’s immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s cells. This disruption might be due to the way the body controls its X chromosomes, the media reported. LiveScience.
As a reminder, women generally have two X chromosomes, while men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, in each cell.
The X chromosome, larger than the Y, contains many more protein-coding genes. In people with two X chromosomes, only one participates in protein production and the other is reduced to prevent overproduction.
To silence this second X chromosome, a long RNA molecule, DNA’s genetic cousin, clings to it. Many proteins then attach to this RNA molecule, forming a long complex that predisposes women to autoimmune diseases.
This discovery might open the way to new treatment options for this type of disease.
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