Women and biological females are nine times more likely to be diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Lupus than males, and now researchers at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins have found why.
Genetic material that only exists in biological females — the X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) — triggers a protein in the immune system known as toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). This protein then reacts with RNA and damages healthy tissues, according to a Nov. 13 news release.
The discovery could lead to the development of enhanced therapeutic treatments for individuals experiencing the disease.
"XIST has now taken on a different role, an alarm signal related to autoimmunity," Brendan Antiochos, MD, a co-author of the study published Sept. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and a professor at Johns Hopkins University stated in the release. "The immune system activation through XIST and TLR7 is female-specific, helping explain the observation that lupus is so much more common in women compared to men."