New research reveals significant sex-based differences in how adult male and female microglia respond to the enzyme inhibitor PLX3397, a common tool in microglial research. In contrast to male microglia that show expected depletion after treatment, female microglia employ alternative signaling pathways leading to increased survival. These findings highlight the necessity of sex-specific research in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, where microglial activity plays a significant role and diagnosis rates differ by gender.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/microglia-sex-differences-28375