The researchers noted that this been true whether or not the mice had gonads (ovaries in females; testes in males), showing that the observed quality was not linked to hormones. Female mice with lower UTX expression had more NK cells which were not as capable of managing viral infection.
” This implicates UTX as a critical molecular determinant of sex differences in NK cells,” stated the research studys lead author Mandy Cheng, graduate trainee in molecular biology at UCLA.
The findings suggest that treatments involving immune responses need to move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach and towards a precision medicine design, likewise called tailored medicine, that customizes treatments that consider peoples private differences, such as genes, environment and other factors that influence health and illness risk, the researchers write.
” Given the current excitement with using NK cells in the clinic, we will need to include sex as a biological consider treatment choices and immunotherapy style,” said co-senior author Tim OSullivan, assistant teacher of microbiology, immunology and molecular genes at the Geffen School.
Recommendation: “The X-linked epigenetic regulator UTX manages NK cell-intrinsic sex distinctions” by Mandy I. Cheng, Joey H. Li, Luke Riggan, Bryan Chen, Rana Yakhshi Tafti, Scott Chin, Feiyang Ma, Matteo Pellegrini, Haley Hrncir, Arthur P. Arnold, Timothy E. OSullivan and Maureen A. Su, 16 March 2023, Nature Immunology.DOI: 10.1038/ s41590-023-01463-8.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, UC CRCC, UCLA CFAR, the Department of Defense, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards, the National Organization of Rare Diseases, Whitcome Fellowship from the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA, and the Warsaw Fellowship from the UCLA Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics.
A brand-new research study suggests that a gene linked to an extra X chromosome might be accountable for the milder signs of viral infections observed in women.
For a long period of time, it has actually been understood that viral infections can be more serious in males than women, however the question as to why has stayed a secret– up until perhaps now. The response may depend on an epigenetic regulator that enhances the function of specific anti-viral immune cells, referred to as natural killer (NK) cells.
A research study group from UCLA has actually recently published a research study in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Immunology. The study exposed that female mice and human beings have an additional copy of a gene called UTX, which is linked to the X chromosome. UTX functions as an epigenetic regulator that enhances the anti-viral function of NK cells while reducing their numbers.
” While it is popular that males have more NK cells compared to females, we did not comprehend why the increased number of NK cells was not more protective during viral infections. It turns out that women have more UTX in their NK cells than do males, which enables them to combat viral infections more efficiently,” stated co-senior author Dr. Maureen Su, teacher of microbiology immunology and molecular genetics, and of pediatrics, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.