Karamatsoukis, Dimitrios (2025) Female Predominance in Autoimmune Diseases: The central role of TLR7 Pathway Regulation. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.
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Abstract
Autoimmune diseases (AID) are chronic disorders characterized by immune reactions against self tissues, with a striking female predominance observed across most conditions. This thesis explores the molecular mechanisms responsible for this sex bias, focusing on the central role of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) in shaping female-biased autoimmunity. TLR7, an endosomal RNA sensor, is highly expressed in key immune cells and drives the production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines implicated in diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Genetic, hormonal and epigenetic factors combine to amplify TLR7 signalling in females. Escape of TLR7 from X chromosome inactivation leads to biallelic expression in different immune cells, while estrogen and its receptor further enhance TLR7 pathway activity. Recent studies also highlight the contribution of regulatory long noncoding RNAs, such as XIST RNA and Lnc-Atg16l1, in modulating TLR7 expression and function. Animal models and patient data further confirm that elevated TLR7 expression and signalling are directly linked to heightened autoimmune susceptibility in females. Finally, this thesis describes emerging targeted therapies, such as the TLR7 inhibitor M5049, which shows promising results in correcting TLR7-driven autoimmunity and is more beneficial in women.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
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| Supervisor name: | Bogaart, G. van den |
| Degree programme: | Biology |
| Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Jul 2025 11:28 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jul 2025 11:28 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/36058 |
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