An Unexpected Controller of Women's Health, Wellness
Hui Li, PhD, and colleagues have identified a "chimeric" form of RNA found only in women that influences their health and wellness.
Our Hui Li, PhD, and colleagues have discovered a form of RNA found only in women that influences their health and wellness, including their susceptibility to infectious disease and autoimmune disorders.
The "chimeric" RNA is a mashup of parts of genes found on women's second X chromosome. You may recall that women have two X chromosomes while men have an X and Y. Thus, this particular chimeric RNA is found only in women.
Previously, the chimeric RNA was thought to be a byproduct of cancer. Turns out it's not just a cellular-copying mistake (as cancer is) but an important regulator of women's health. The scientists found that the chimeric RNA plays important roles in women's blood-cell development and in determining how sick they get from diseases such as COVID-19.
Professor Li suspects that the chimeric RNA may play an important role in the development of immune cells called neutrophils that act as the body’s first responders to infection. The findings could open the door to blood tests to help diagnose diseases or identify women at greatest risk for bad outcomes.
The discovery also suggests that the chimeric RNA also may serve as a natural brake to protect women from excessive autoimmune activity. Women are far more likely to suffer autoimmune disorders than men, and Li is urging additional research to better understand the role chimeric RNA could be playing – and how it could be targeted to improve patient outcomes.
“This finding highlights there is another layer of control for gene expression,” Professor Li told me. “These chimeric RNAs may represent a hidden repertoire for biomarkers and therapy targets as well.”