Mind the Gap: Sex Bias in Basic Skin Research

Abstract

Given the recent National Institutes of Health proposal for balanced use of male and female cells and animals in preclinical studies, we explored whether sex bias exists in skin research. We surveyed 802 dermatological research articles from 2012 through 2013. No information about the sex of studied cells or animals was provided in 60% of papers. Among keratinocytes of known sex, 70% were male. Few studies compared male versus female cells or animals. Disclosure of sex and comparative studies contribute to our understanding of the biologic basis of sex differences. Addressing sex-specific differences in preclinical research informs subsequent clinical trial design and promotes individualized therapy.

Actinic Cheilitis Prevalence and Risk Factors: A Cross-sectional, Multicentre Study in a Population Aged 45 Years and Over in North-west Spain

“…The rest of the analysed variables were not significant. Sex distribution showed a high proportion of females in both the screening and the AC population (59.1% and 55.4%, respectively) and this could be related to the higher tendency of women to seek dermatological consultation compared with men (30); in contrast, other AC prevalence studies showed a clear superiority of men (15,16,18,19,23,25) and the reasons the authors gave for that finding were that women often use lipsticks providing a physical block against UV radiation, have a bigger tendency to use a sunscreen and are less frequently engaged in outdoor activities. Furthermore, an important percentage of the AC prevalence studies were performed in specific populations with professional activities that clearly have a male predominance (fishermen, sugar cane collectors, farmers, rural workers).…”

Human Skin Explants Recapitulate Key Features of HSV-1 Infections

“…In addition to providing a model that recapitulates the pathophysiology of HSV infections in humans, the approach established by Tajpara et al (2018) provides an opportunity to examine potential sex-based differences in acute responses to HSV infection and antiviral compounds. A majority of dermatology-based research studies use cells and tissues from male donors, likely a result of the availability of foreskin samples for cell isolation and ex vivo tissue studies (Kong et al, 2016). However, research examining host responses to viral infection and putative antiviral compounds should include analysis of both sexes.…”

Enhancing Scientific Foundations to Ensure Reproducibility

“…18 On the other hand, dermatological research exhibits a bias toward female animals. 19 Preclinical research historically used primarily male animals to avoid variation from the estrous cycle in female animals. However, a metaanalysis of preclinical studies showed that female mice, regardless of estrous cycle stage, did not have significantly greater variability compared with male mice.…”