# Researchers pinpoint genes behind sex biases in autoimmune disorders, schizophrenia
The team’s findings, reported May 11 in Nature , suggest that greater abundance of an immune-related protein in men protects against lupus and Sjögren’s but heightens vulnerability to schizophrenia.
The protein, called complement component 4 (C4) and produced by the C4 gene, tags cellular debris for prompt removal by immune cells.