Hsiao-Ying Wey/Science Translational Medicine
Past studies revealed that the risks of developing neurological disorders vary depending on a person’s sex. Males have a higher chance of developing Parkinson’s disease, ALS, or neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or ADHD. Females have higher percentages of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, as well as mood-related disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. A recent study involving the effect of sex on gene expression explains why.
The study found that sex chromosomes and hormonal influences on cell-type gene expression might explain sex differences in susceptibility to neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases. The study analyzed samples of transcriptomic cell types of the brain’s cortex from 15 adult males and 15 adult females across six different areas of the brain. They found that more than 3000 genes showed sex biased gene expression, and over 100 of these genes were consistent across the different regions and cell types. Furthermore, most of these genes with sex-biased expression are not located on sex chromosomes but are autosomal and can be activated by sex hormones. Overall, this data can be used to link the differences we see between the sexes in hormone regulation, cortical structure, and susceptibility to brain-related disorders.
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