pDCs, type 1 IFN, and the female predileXion of SSc

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a debilitating autoimmune disease that preferentially afflicts women. The molecular origins of this female bias are unclear. A new study of plasmacytoid dendritic cells from SSc patients by Du et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20231809) suggests the X chromosome may play a key role.