Israeli scientists have announced that they have successfully created male and female stem cells from the same individual for the first time. This breakthrough means the cells are genetically identical, except for the sex chromosomes. This development is expected to provide a new foundation for scientists in discovering drug formulations and understanding how diseases affect genders differently.
For much of medical history, the male body has been the default used for investigating diseases, biology, and drug responses. If there were no clear reproductive differences involved, findings were often applied to both men and women equally, even when trials were conducted exclusively on men.
However, a series of studies in recent decades have revealed that there are far more differences than we might expect. These differences can manifest in various tendencies; for instance, women are generally at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, while men are more prone to cancer. Similarly, the severity of illness can differ, as men are more likely to experience acute severe Covid-19, whereas women are more prone to experiencing “post-Covid-19” conditions. Even other issues, such as the optimal time to exercise or reactions to infant scents, differ between genders.
Gender influences disease progression and treatment methods.
Recognizing that differences exist is one thing, but researching them is an entirely different matter. Even with large participant groups in trials, it remains challenging to determine whether differences are due to gender rather than natural genetic variance or other factors. Ideally, tests would be conducted on genetically identical male-female pairs, except for their sex chromosomes, but this is not feasible, even among twins.
This recent breakthrough could ultimately provide an appropriate foundation for investigating gender differences. Researchers at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel have successfully created male and female cells that are genetically identical but have different sex chromosomes.
This groundbreaking advancement came from a man with Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic condition that causes the patient to have an extra X chromosome. Consequently, his blood contains small populations of both male cells with XY chromosomes and female cells with XX chromosomes.
The scientists extracted these blood cells and used them to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), including both male and female cells. These iPSCs can differentiate into most other human cells, allowing for simultaneous experiments on genetically identical male and female cells.
“This is a breakthrough in the field of gender medicine,” said Dr. Benjamin Reubinoff, the lead researcher. “The unique stem cell system we have developed will lead to new discoveries regarding gender differences, which may help compare the efficacy and toxicity of drugs and could contribute to the development of better medicines tailored to men and women.”
The study was published in the journal Stem Cell Report.
