More than 75% of autoimmune diseases display increased prevalence in women, and estrogens have been often pointed out as possible responsible due to their involvement in a rather wide number of physiological functions, including immune ones. However, to date, the role of estrogens in immune reactions, especially T-dependent ones, is still not well understood.
In this study, published on Science Signaling, Imram Mohammad and Inna Starskaia and colleagues developed a murine model of colitis with estrogen receptor alpha-deficent mice: these mice displayed reduced TH1 and TH17 function (activation, survival and proliferation) as well as increased Treg activity.