LJI Links 1.1 Million Lung Immune Cells to Autoimmune Risk, Finds 1,700 Sex-Biased Genes
Updated
Updated · Newswise · Aug 4
LJI Links 1.1 Million Lung Immune Cells to Autoimmune Risk, Finds 1,700 Sex-Biased Genes
3 articles · Updated · Newswise · Aug 4
Summary
LJI mapped 1.1 million lung tissue-resident immune cells from 128 volunteers and found they express genes tied to autoimmune and lung-disease risk, suggesting the cells may help drive chronic inflammation.
About 1,000 genetically influenced genes appeared specifically in lung-resident immune cells and were not detected in blood immune cells, pointing to tissue-specific disease mechanisms.
The study also identified 1,700 genes with sex-based expression differences, including inflammation-related pathways that could help explain why many autoimmune diseases are more common in women.
Samples came from healthy lung tissue collected during surgery from newly diagnosed lung-cancer patients, and the Nature Immunology study used single-cell RNA sequencing under LJI's DICE project.
Researchers said the findings are foundational rather than definitive, offering a large reference set for probing how genetics, sex and local immune behavior shape lung and autoimmune disease.