Have we found the key to one of the great biological mysteries? An international team of researchers has apparently found the explanation for why many more women suffer from autoimmune diseases than men.
According to medical statistics, women make up 80% of all those suffering from diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system attacks the body.
There are about 100 autoimmune diseases.
Chromosome X and Chromosome Y, photo: E.P
In an article published today (Thursday) in the journal Cell, the scientists point to a molecule called Xist (pronounced "exist") as a central factor in these diseases.
The molecule exists only in the female body.
According to the study, the molecule plays a critical role in inhibiting one of the two X chromosomes in women (men have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome), which is designed to prevent excess production of proteins.
However, the team of researchers discovered that in the process of inhibition, Xist produces assemblies of molecules linked to many autoimmune diseases.
Although most of the research was carried out in mice, in human patients an interesting detail became clear: the assemblies of molecules stimulated chemical reactions associated with autoimmune diseases.
The scientists write that a better understanding of the role of the molecule may lead to the creation of tests that will detect autoimmune diseases at an earlier stage, and in the future even to better treatments.
However, the discovery of the molecule does not answer the question of how autoimmune diseases develop in men, or why diseases such as type 1 diabetes occur more specifically in men.
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