scholarly journals Sex Matters in Health and Disease: a review of biological sex differences with an emphasis on glioma

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Christine Massey ◽  
Paula Whitmire ◽  
Tatum E Doyle ◽  
Joseph E Ippolito ◽  
Maciej M Mrugala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Improve Patient

Humans are sexually dimorphic, with sex being the most persistent difference among humans over the course of our evolutionary history. Beyond the visible sex differences that can be considered true dimorphisms, there are also sex differences at the molecular and cellular scales. The role of these biological sex differences for human health, while being increasingly recognized, have long been underappreciated and underexplored. Frequently, these differences are only recognized in sex–specific diseases, such as genitourinary diseases and cancers. However, given the evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology, including metabolism, cellular composition, and immune activity, these differences could have consequences for the etiology and pathophysiology of a majority of diseases. It is thus essential to consider the extent to which these differences may influence the various mechanisms underlying disease processes, response to treatment, and the maintenance of health in order to better improve patient outcomes. Here we review the evidence for a broad array of biological sex differences in humans and discuss how they may relate to observed sex differences in various diseases, with an emphasis on cancer, specifically glioblastoma. We further propose that mathematical approaches can be useful for exploring the extent to which sex differences affect disease outcomes and accounting for those in the development of therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Sex Matters in Health and Disease: a review of biological sex differences with an emphasis on glioma

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Christine Massey ◽  
Paula Whitmire ◽  
Tatum E Doyle ◽  
Joseph E Ippolito ◽  
Maciej M Mrugala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Improve Patient

Humans are sexually dimorphic, with sex being the most persistent difference among humans over the course of our evolutionary history. Beyond the visible sex differences that can be considered true dimorphisms, there are also sex differences at the molecular and cellular scales. The role of these biological sex differences for human health, while being increasingly recognized, have long been underappreciated and underexplored. Frequently, these differences are only recognized in sex–specific diseases, such as genitourinary diseases and cancers. However, given the evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology, including metabolism, cellular composition, and immune activity, these differences could have consequences for the etiology and pathophysiology of a majority of diseases. It is thus essential to consider the extent to which these differences may influence the various mechanisms underlying disease processes, response to treatment, and the maintenance of health in order to better improve patient outcomes. Here we review the evidence for a broad array of biological sex differences in humans and discuss how they may relate to observed sex differences in various diseases, with an emphasis on cancer, specifically glioblastoma. We further propose that mathematical approaches can be useful for exploring the extent to which sex differences affect disease outcomes and accounting for those in the development of therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Role of Biological Sex in the Cardiovascular-Gut Microbiome Axis

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuangyue Li ◽  
Georgios Kararigas
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Host Health ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

There has been a recent, unprecedented interest in the role of gut microbiota in host health and disease. Technological advances have dramatically expanded our knowledge of the gut microbiome. Increasing evidence has indicated a strong link between gut microbiota and the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In the present article, we discuss the contribution of gut microbiota in the development and progression of CVD. We further discuss how the gut microbiome may differ between the sexes and how it may be influenced by sex hormones. We put forward that regulation of microbial composition and function by sex might lead to sex-biased disease susceptibility, thereby offering a mechanistic insight into sex differences in CVD. A better understanding of this could identify novel targets, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for men and women.

scholarly journals Sex Differences and the Influence of Sex Hormones on Cognition through Adulthood and the Aging Process

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Gurvich ◽  
Kate Hoy ◽  
Natalie Thomas ◽  
Jayashri Kulkarni
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis that regulate reproductive function have multiple effects on the development, maintenance and function of the brain. Sex differences in cognitive functioning have been reported in both health and disease, which may be partly attributed to sex hormones. The aim of the current paper was to provide a theoretical review of how sex hormones influence cognitive functioning across the lifespan as well as provide an overview of the literature on sex differences and the role of sex hormones in cognitive decline, specifically in relation to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A summary of current hormone and sex-based interventions for enhancing cognitive functioning and/or reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is also provided.

scholarly journals The Gut Ecosystem: A Critical Player in Stroke

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Delgado Jiménez ◽  
Corinne Benakis
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Brain Stroke ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Improve Patient

AbstractThe intestinal microbiome is emerging as a critical factor in health and disease. The microbes, although spatially restricted to the gut, are communicating and modulating the function of distant organs such as the brain. Stroke and other neurological disorders are associated with a disrupted microbiota. In turn, stroke-induced dysbiosis has a major impact on the disease outcome by modulating the immune response. In this review, we present current knowledge on the role of the gut microbiome in stroke, one of the most devastating brain disorders worldwide with very limited therapeutic options, and we discuss novel insights into the gut-immune-brain axis after an ischemic insult. Understanding the nature of the gut bacteria-brain crosstalk may lead to microbiome-based therapeutic approaches that can improve patient recovery.

A Treatment Protocol for Management of Bacterial and Fungal Malignant External Otitis: A Large Cohort in Tehran, Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (7) ◽  
pp. 561-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Hasibi ◽  
Mohammadtaghi Khorsandi Ashtiani ◽  
Masoud Motassadi Zarandi ◽  
Nasrin Yazdani ◽  
Pedram Borghei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Baseline Phase ◽  
Malignant Otitis Externa ◽  
Improve Patient

Aims: High rates of negative microbiologic test results highlight the potential role of empiric antimicrobial agents in management of malignant otitis externa (MOE). This study investigates the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and response to empiric treatment in a large group of patients admitted to a tertiary academic hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods and Materials: We recruited 224 patients diagnosed with MOE in a prospective observation from 2009 through 2015. All patients received a 2-agent antibacterial regimen at baseline (phase I). Patients with no improvement within 10 days and/or nonresponders to a second course of antibacterials were switched to antifungals (phase II). Response to treatment was observed and documented in both groups. Results: All patients had physical symptoms for more than 12 weeks before admission. In total, 127 patients responded well to antibacterials. Eighty-seven out of 97 patients who were switched to antifungals had complete response to treatment; patients in the latter group had significantly higher A1C levels at baseline. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence to develop clinical guidelines that accelerate diagnosis and treatment of MOE to improve patient outcomes.

scholarly journals Sex differences in health and disease: A review of biological sex differences relevant to cancer with a spotlight on glioma

2021 ◽  
Vol 498 ◽  
pp. 178-187
Author(s):  
Susan Christine Massey ◽  
Paula Whitmire ◽  
Tatum E. Doyle ◽  
Joseph E. Ippolito ◽  
Maciej M. Mrugala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Health And Disease

scholarly journals Prohibitin: A hypothetical target for sex-based new therapeutics for metabolic and immune diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 244 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Mishra ◽  
BL Grégoire Nyomba
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Membrane Signaling

Adipose and immune functions display sex differences and are influenced by sex steroid hormones in health and disease. However, effector molecules that mediate the effects of sex steroids and determine sex differences in adipocytes and immune cells are largely unknown. Sex differences are known to exist in mitochondrial biology, and mitochondria play a crucial role in adipocyte and immune cell functions. In fact, mitochondrial dysregulation is a common finding in a number of diseases that exhibit sex differences. It is, therefore, possible that mitochondria carry out sex-dimorphic functions. Prohibitin, an evolutionarily conserved pleiotropic protein, known to function as a mitochondrial chaperone, has multifaceted relationship with sex steroids and their receptors. New evidence indicates that prohibitin has roles in sex differences in multiple cell and tissue types, including adipocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Transgenic mice overexpressing prohibitin in adipocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells exhibit sex differences in metabolic and immune phenotypes, mediated through mitochondrial and plasma membrane signaling functions of prohibitin. Thus, the discovery of prohibitin as mediating the effects of sex steroids in multiple cell types has opened a new research direction to study the relationship between sex steroids and mitochondrial proteins and their impact on sex differences in health and disease. In this opinion article, we will provide a personal perspective of the role of prohibitin with cellular compartment- and tissue-specific functions in mediating sex-dimorphic adipose and immune functions. We believe that prohibitin is a potential target for sex-based new therapeutics for metabolic and immune diseases. Impact statement Traditional sex-related biases in research are now obsolete, and it is important to identify the sex of humans, animals, and even cells in research protocols, due to the role of sex as a fundamental facet of biology, predisposition to disease, and response to therapy. Genetic sex, epigenetics and hormonal regulations, generate sex-dimorphisms. Recent investigations acknowledge sex differences in metabolic and immune health as well as chronic diseases. Prohibitin, an evolutionarily conserved molecule, has pleotropic functions in mitochondrial housekeeping, plasma membrane signaling, and nuclear genetic transcription. Studies in adipocytes, macrophages, and transgenic mice indicate that prohibitin interacts with sex steroids and plays a role in mediating sex differences in adipose tissues and immune cell types. Prohibitin may, depending on context, modulate predisposition to chronic metabolic diseases and malignancy and, because of these attributes, could be a target for sex-based therapies of metabolic and immune-related diseases as well as cancer.

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