Effects of The Sex of Cells on Neurodegeneration

For this paper, the article was published on TheScientist website on March 18th 2021, and is titled, ‘Sex of Human Cells Matters in Studying Neurological Disease.’ Neurodegeneration is the loss of function of neurons accompanied by atrophy that leads to apoptosis. Examples of neurological disorders are Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The causes of neurological disorders vary as some develop from genetic disorders while others are caused by lifestyles and injuries such as brain injuries; all these causes influence the deterioration of the Blood-Brain barrier, favoring disorder developments. Accordingly, people suffer from a number of disorders. The questions to be answered in the news article were how neurodegeneration was understood and how to develop new treatments for neurodegeneration. Accordingly, the effects of the sex of a cell have been studied regarding neurological disorders to determine their impacts on the blood-brain barrier.

To answer the first question on understanding neurodegeneration, scientists developed complex cellular models. These cellular models were used to study the effects of cells on the blood-brain barrier. Subsequently, during the research, they discovered that the sex of the cells influenced neurodegeneration because sex variation impacted cell experiments. Accordingly, it was discovered that the sex of cells affected brain disorders, with men having a higher rate of infection and severity by neurological disorders. In contrast, women have a lower rate of infection because of estrogen, which prevents damage to the blood-brain barrier. This discovery illustrated that sex influenced neurological disorders’ development and their impacts on the human body. Accordingly, determining the sex of a cell helps learn disease development and influences experiments that would otherwise have faulty results.

Bioengineers Alisa Morss Clyne and Callie Weber of the University of Maryland gave their input to determine the impacts of the blood-brain barrier on neurological disorders development. It was argued that the blood-brain barrier and neurological disorders are related in that continuous deterioration of the blood-brain barrier influenced the rate of neurological disorders development. Moreover, breaking the blood-brain barrier allows for the penetration of substances in the blood into the brain. Accordingly, the blood-brain barrier is made up of endothelial cells, whose function is to supply nutrients to the brain and dispose of waste products. Therefore, the deterioration of the blood-brain barrier involves breaking these cells, allowing for the movement of substances to the brain, affecting the neurons, and causing the development of neurological disorders.

The two Bioengineers gave their input to determine the impacts of the sex of cells on the breakage of the blood-brain barrier. The sex of cells influenced the breakage of the blood-brain barrier because of the hormones secreted in the presence of specific sex cells. Consequently, the secretion of estrogen influences the destruction of the blood-brain barrier. Estrogen ensures the blood-brain barrier remains intact. Estrogen plays a significant role in the vascular system in the body by favoring the production of substances by the endothelium, such as nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and ensures they’re in optimum conditions. Furthermore, the blood-brain barrier is constituted of endothelial cells, which are, therefore, influenced by estrogen to secrete nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels and ensures the preservation of the blood-brain barrier. Accordingly, this explanation illustrates why women are less affected by neurological disorders as compared to men.

The bioengineers gave their input on the importance of determining the sex of the cells of origin in experiments by scientists. The sex of the parent cell used in experiments should be determined before experimentation because sex influences results. Therefore, the causes of diseases, impacts of diseases, treatment, and reaction to treatment will be influenced by sex. Subsequently, the sex of cells influences all these factors because of the hormones produced in males and females. The two bioengineers made this discovery by learning that pulmonary hypertension impacts varied based on the sex of cells. Therefore, scientists should determine the sex of the parent cell of the cell lines used in experimentation because the sex of cells influences the outcomes of most experiments.

The improvement of treatment of neurological disorders is influenced by sex. With the discovery of the impacts of the sex of cells on infection rate and reaction to treatment, the improvement of treatment methods is possible. The sex of an infected person will influence their response to treatment methods and the rate of recovery. This discovery was significant in res