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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Women's immune systems aren't just hormonally different — they're genetically wired differently too. Researchers identified over 1,000 genetic switches that behave differently in male vs. female immune cells, helping explain why women are far more prone to autoimmune diseases like lupus. The findings, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, point toward more sex-specific treatments in the future.
Women's immune systems aren't just hormonally different — they're genetically wired differently too. Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney have identified more than 1,000 genetic switches that behave differently in male and female immune cells. These switches, known as expression quantitative trait loci, act like volume controls for gene activity — and in women, they appear to dial up inflammatory pathways, creating a more reactive immune system.
That heightened reactivity is a double-edged sword. While it gives women an edge in fighting off viral infections, it also increases the risk of immune "friendly fire" — where the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases. Lupus, for example, affects women nine times more often than men. Notably, most of these sex-specific genetic switches were found on non-sex chromosomes, challenging the long-held assumption that sex differences in immunity are primarily driven by the X and Y chromosomes.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings lay the groundwork for more personalized autoimmune treatments — moving away from broad immune suppression toward therapies tailored to how a patient's immune system operates at a baseline genetic level, based on sex.
