Biological sex differences in Alzheimer's preclinical research: A call to action
Ansley Waters, Melissa H. Laitner
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: For decades, researchers have largely ignored sex as a biological variable (SABV) within preclinical studies. Recent literature indicates scientists are increasingly including male and female subjects in studies, but fewer studies assess for sex differences in study outcome. This is particularly concerning within the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as disease burden is higher among women and evidence suggests sex differences exist in etiology and disease course. METHODS: We conducted an informal review of preclinical AD research studies. RESULTS: Results confirmed that only about one-third of ≈150 recent studies included both male and female mice, and <15 of nearly 150 studies examined SABV as an outcome of interest. DISCUSSION: Previous research supports the idea that better integration of SABV could open new doors in treatment research. We provide examples of best practices and discuss the need for Alzheimer's researchers to account for SABV within preclinical studies.