Let’s talk about sex: A biological variable in immune response against melanoma

As science culture gravitates toward a more holistic inclusion of both males and females in research design, the outlining of sex differences and their respective intersections with disease physiology and pathophysiology should see reciprocal expansion. Melanoma skin cancer, for example, has observe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pigment cell and melanoma research 2022-03, Vol.35 (2), p.268-279
Main Authors: Dakup, Panshak P., Greer, Adam J., Gaddameedhi, Shobhan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Body composition
Body mass index
Body size
Cell Biology
Cellular stress response
Dermatology
DNA damage
Epidemiology
Female
Gender aspects
Gender differences
Genetic diversity
Genetic variance
Humans
immune
Immune response
Immune system
Immunity
Male
Melanoma
Melanoma - genetics
Oncology
Oxidative stress
Research design
sex
Sex Characteristics
Sex differences
Sex Factors
Skin cancer
Skin Neoplasms - genetics
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Summary:As science culture gravitates toward a more holistic inclusion of both males and females in research design, the outlining of sex differences and their respective intersections with disease physiology and pathophysiology should see reciprocal expansion. Melanoma skin cancer, for example, has observed a female advantage in incidence, mortality, and overall survival since the early 1970s. The exact biological mechanism of this trend, however, is unclear and further complicated by a layering of clinical variables such as skin phototype, age, and body mass index. In this perspective, we highlight epidemiological evidence of sex differences in melanoma and summarize the landscape of their potential origin. Among several biological hallmarks, we make a note of sex‐specific immune profiles—along with divergent hormonal regulation, social practices, DNA damage and oxidative stress responses, body composition, genetic variants, and X‐chromosome expression—as probable drivers of disparity in melanoma initiation and progression. This review further focuses the conversation of sex as an influencing factor in melanoma development and its potential implication for disease management and treatment strategies.
ISSN:1755-1471
1755-148X
DOI:10.1111/pcmr.13028