New to PubMed! Kerns, ML., et al. Sexual dimorphism in response to a NRF2 inducer in a mouse model f

The Coulombe lab recently published an interesting story in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology highlighting how sex-based differences in response to a drug treatment can impact its effectiveness. We had previously published that treating male keratin 16 null mice with the small molecule sulforaphane could prevent the formation of footpad skin lesions that mimic a condition known as palmoplantar keratoderma. In this paper, the lab reports that this treatment regimen did not work in female mice unless estrogen signaling is targeted simultaneously. This study underscores the existence of significant differences in keap1-Nrf2 signaling in male and female mice and, more generally, how important it is to use both male and female subjects when studying disease pathogenesis and responsiveness to therapeutic approaches. Find the full story on PubMed!