Lower testosterone levels might be the reason behind why women are at a higher risk than men of developing autoimmune diseases like lupus, new research suggests.
Using animal models, researchers observed that testosterone inhibits the survival of B-cells, which are responsible for producing the autoantibodies that attack the body’s own tissues in autoimmune diseases.
“It’s very important to understand what causes these diseases to be so much more common among women,” Åsa Tivesten, a professor and chief physician at Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden and senior author of the study, said in a press release. “In this way, we can eventually provide better treatment for the diseases.”
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