New sorority members recruited

Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, are more likely to affect women than men. Now researchers are beginning to understand why.

Diseases like lupus, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis are caused by a body’s natural defense system attacking the body instead of fending off actual illnesses.

In August 2011, researchers at National Jewish Health determined that immune system B-cells make autoantibodies that bind to and attack the body’s own tissue. The researchers found that high levels of these cells were most notable in older female mice. The findings were presented in the journal Blood.