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Why autoimmune disease is more common in women: X chromosome holds clues

Rogue antibodies are drawn to the protein–RNA coating on half of the X chromosomes in an XX cell.
  1. Elie Dolgin

    1. Elie Dolgin is a science journalist in Somerville, Massachusetts.

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Why are women so much more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than men? A new explanation for the discrepancy has emerged: a molecular coating typically found on half of a woman’s X chromosomes — but not in males’ cells — might be provoking unwanted immune responses1.

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Nature 626, 466 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00267-6

References

  1. Dou, D. R. et al. Cell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.037 (2024).

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  2. Crawford, J. D. et al. JCI Insight 8, e169344 (2023).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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