Is the secret to autoimmune diseases in the X chromosome?

Scientists have discovered that the condition where the immune system causes autoimmune diseases, which are more frequently seen in women, may be due to an RNA called "Xist" that suppresses the X chromosome.

According to a report by The New York Times, in a multinational study, scientists examined genetic causes and investigated the genetic foundations of autoimmune diseases.

The researchers explained that because women have two X sex chromosomes, which carry information for the production of many proteins in the body, the information on one of the X pair is suppressed by an RNA strand called "Xist."

The researchers also determined that many proteins involved in autoimmune diseases help "Xist" suppress these functions. They studied the functioning of this protein in the laboratory.

Scientists reported that when they altered the genetic structure of male mice to enable them to synthesize Xist, the males developed more autoimmune diseases compared to females.

In order to adapt the data obtained from mice to humans, the researchers examined blood samples taken from more than 100 donors with dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, and lupus, in addition to a control group of 17 people, and found that individuals with lupus and other autoimmune disorders had high levels of Xist-associated antibodies.

The results of the study were published in the journal "Cell".

News Source: AA