Article
Immunology
Sudhanshu Agrawal, Jon Salazar, Thu Michelle Tran, Anshu Agrawal
Summary: Evidence suggests that females exhibit a stronger immune response to SARS-CoV-2 within 24 hours of infection compared to males, with higher activation of cells and levels of inflammatory factors in female individuals.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anik Banerjee, Louise D. McCullough
Summary: Both biological sex and aging play important roles in the host immune response in ischemic stroke. Older women tend to have poorer functional outcomes compared to men, possibly due to their older age at first stroke and increased comorbidities. In addition, the immune response differs between men and women, potentially contributing to sex differences in poststroke recovery.
Review
Immunology
Lucy Ryan, Kingston H. G. Mills
Summary: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects over 2.5 million individuals worldwide, with striking sex differences in susceptibility and disease progression. Differences in immune responses between males and females may play a role in these disparities.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Elizabeth P. Bauer
Summary: This review examines the sex differences in fear learning and memory formation, focusing on rodents. The study found mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in fear conditioning, but greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei, and prefrontal cortical regions. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) was highlighted as a sexually dimorphic structure that contributes differently to fear responses in males and females.
Article
Immunology
Elisabeth G. Vichaya, Bianca G. Ford, Jessica M. Moltenkine, Cullen M. Taniguchi, A. Phillip West, Robert Dantzer
Summary: There is significant variability in the expression of cancer-related fatigue, with male mice growing larger tumors and exhibiting more severe fatigue-like behavior compared to female mice. The study found that sex differences can modulate the expression of fatigue-like behavior in particular circumstances.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guolian Zhao, Yazhou Xu, Jing Li, Xiaoli Cui, Xiaowen Tan, Hongyue Zhang, Liyun Dang
Summary: The study found significant differences between sexes in COVID-19 patients, with males showing higher disease severity, higher monocyte counts, CRP and ALT levels, and increased CD8(+) T cell proportions. Independent of estrogen levels, decreased CD4(+) T cell proportions were observed in males and severe cases.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Alexandros Galaras, Mihalis Verykokakis
Summary: New research reveals molecular mechanisms underlying sex-based differences in antiviral immune responses.
Review
Immunology
Pingping Niu, Liqin Li, Yonggang Zhang, Zhongzhou Su, Binghao Wang, He Liu, Shehong Zhang, Sheng Qiu, Yuntao Li
Summary: Ischemic stroke is a significant cause of death and disability worldwide. Gender differences in stroke outcomes have been established, and the immune response after stroke plays a crucial role in patient outcomes. However, gender disparities lead to distinct immune metabolic tendencies that are closely related to immune regulation after stroke.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Dawson R. Kropp, Georgia E. Hodes
Summary: Depression is a heterogenous disorder with different symptoms across individuals. In some cases, alterations of the immune system are associated with depression onset and symptoms. Women have a higher likelihood of developing depression and a more sensitive immune system compared to men. Sex differences in pattern recognition receptors, release of damage-associated molecular patterns, cell populations, and circulating cytokines contribute to inflammation onset. These immune response differences may explain the higher rate of depression in women.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Juyeun Lee, Michael Nicosia, Ellen S. Hong, Daniel J. Silver, Cathy Li, Defne Bayik, Dionysios C. Watson, Adam Lauko, Kristen E. Kay, Sabrina Z. Wang, Sadie Johnson, Mary McGraw, Matthew M. Grabowski, Danielle D. Kish, Amar B. Desai, Wendy A. Goodman, Scott J. Cameron, Hideho Okada, Anna Valujskikh, Robert L. Fairchild, Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, Justin D. Lathia
Summary: This study demonstrates the crucial role of T cells in driving sex differences in glioblastoma (GBM) progression. Male mice exhibited accelerated tumor growth with decreased frequency and increased exhaustion of CD8+ T cells in the tumor. Furthermore, a higher frequency of progenitor exhausted T cells was found in males, with improved responsiveness to anti-PD-1 treatment. These findings highlight the importance of sex-biased predetermined behavior of T cells in GBM.
Article
Cell Biology
Anthony N. Patrizz, Jose F. Moruno-Manchon, Lena M. O'Keefe, Sarah J. Doran, Anita R. Patel, Venugopal R. Venna, Andrey S. Tsvetkov, Jun Li, Louise D. McCullough
Summary: The study revealed differences in autophagy between sexes after ischemic stroke, with inhibition of autophagy reducing infarct volume in males and ovariectomized females but increasing infarct size in females and ovariectomized females supplemented with estrogen. Male neurons showed increased autophagy markers under stress conditions compared to female neurons, and E2 supplementation inhibited autophagy in male neurons while benefiting cell survival in female neurons. Autophagy regulators have different effects in a sex-dependent manner in neurons post-ischemic stroke.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
V Tetel, B. Van Wyk, G. S. Fraley
Summary: There have been concerns about the measurement of corticosterone and cortisol in poultry species recently, and this study aimed to validate the presence of both glucocorticoids in ducks. The results showed that both corticosterone and cortisol were present in measurable amounts, and there was a sex difference in the levels of these glucocorticoids in response to ACTH or transportation stress.
Review
Neurosciences
Chloe Lopez-Lee, Lay Kodama, Li Gan
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that immune dysfunction plays a significant role in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases, many of which exhibit notable sex differences. Understanding sex-specific immune activity in the central nervous system can help explain downstream sex differences in diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Recognizing and studying these sex differences is important for improving clinical and translational research efforts, and further analyses may uncover novel disease mechanisms for better treatment outcomes in both sexes.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eteri Regis, Sara Fontanella, Lijing Lin, Rebecca Howard, Sadia Haider, John A. Curtin, Michael R. Edwards, Magnus Rattray, Angela Simpson, Adnan Custovic, Sebastian L. Johnston
Summary: The study suggests that males have deficient innate immune responses to respiratory viruses compared to females, particularly in interferon production. Early healthcare records indicate a significantly higher proportion of male infants hospitalized with respiratory infections compared to females.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Marton Vezer, Agota Demeter, Maria Szekeres, Attila Josvai, Balint Banyai, Attila Olah, Fruzsina Balogh, Eszter M. Horvath, Tamas Radovits, Bela Merkely, Nandor Acs, Gyorgy L. Nadasy, Marianna Torok, Szabolcs Varbiro
Summary: Exercise can alter hemodynamics and renal artery function, with sex differences observed. Swim training can mitigate renal artery vasoconstriction in male rats, while depressing elastic fiber and smooth muscle actin density in female rats.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)