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

The influence of biological sex differences on human health and disease, while being increasingly recognized, has long been underappreciated and underexplored. While humans of all sexes are more alike than different, there is evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer letters Vol. 498; pp. 178 - 187
Main Authors: Massey, Susan Christine, Whitmire, Paula, Doyle, Tatum E., Ippolito, Joseph E., Mrugala, Maciej M., Hu, Leland S., Canoll, Peter, Anderson, Alexander R.A., Wilson, Melissa A., Fitzpatrick, Susan M., McCarthy, Margaret M., Rubin, Joshua B., Swanson, Kristin R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.02.2021
Elsevier Limited
Subjects:
Animals
Brain cancer
Cancer
Diabetes
Estrogens
Etiology
Gender differences
Glioblastoma
Glioma
Glioma - immunology
Glioma - metabolism
Glioma - pathology
Glioma - therapy
Glucose
Hormone replacement therapy
Hormones - metabolism
Humans
Immune system
Immune System - immunology
Males
Menstruation
Metabolism
Microbiota
Morphine
Oxidation
Pathophysiology
Patient-specific computational modeling
Precision medicine
Sex
Sex Characteristics
Sex differences
Sex factors
Sexes
Wound healing
X chromosomes
Y chromosomes
Precision medicine
Glioma
GBM glioblastoma
IDH1 isocitrate dehydrogenase 1
Sex differences
Sex factors
Patient-specific computational modeling
18F-FDG PET 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography
ISSN:0304-3835, 1872-7980, 1872-7980
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:The influence of biological sex differences on human health and disease, while being increasingly recognized, has long been underappreciated and underexplored. While humans of all sexes are more alike than different, there is evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology and these differences have consequences for the etiology and pathophysiology of many diseases. In a disease like cancer, these consequences manifest in the sex biases in incidence and outcome of many cancer types. The ability to deliver precise, targeted therapies to complex cancer cases is limited by our current understanding of the underlying sex differences. Gaining a better understanding of the implications and interplay of sex differences in diseases like cancer will thus be informative for clinical practice and biological research. Here we review the evidence for a broad array of biological sex differences in humans and discuss how these differences may relate to observed sex differences in various diseases, including many cancers and specifically glioblastoma. We focus on areas of human biology that play vital roles in healthy and disease states, including metabolism, development, hormones, and the immune system, and emphasize that the intersection of sex differences in these areas should not go overlooked. 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. •Biological sex differences appear in many aspects of normal human biology•Sex differences may influence the etiology of many diseases—more work is needed•Immune, metabolic, & genetic sex differences affect glioblastoma treatment outcomes•Patients may benefit from sex–specific therapeutic strategies•Computational models can elucidate molecular sex–difference impacts on disease
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Authorship
Conceptualization: All authors; Methodology: SCM, PW, KRS; Literature search/investigation: SCM, PW, TED; Initial drafting of the manuscript: SCM, PW, TED; Review and/or revision of the manuscript: All authors; Approval of final manuscript: All authors.
ISSN:0304-3835
1872-7980
1872-7980
DOI:10.1016/j.canlet.2020.07.030