Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

In Vitro Method to Study Sex-Based Differences in Conjunctival Goblet Cells
Published on: July 28, 2023
Sex differences in Alzheimer disease - the gateway to precision medicine
Maria Teresa Ferretti1,2, Maria Florencia Iulita3,4, Enrica Cavedo5,6,7,8,9
1Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland. mariateresa.ferretti@irem.uzh.ch.
Abstract:
Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by wide heterogeneity in cognitive and behavioural syndromes, risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms. Addressing this phenotypic variation will be crucial for the development of precise and effective therapeutics in AD. Sex-related differences in neural anatomy and function are starting to emerge, and sex might constitute an important factor for AD patient stratification and personalized treatment. Although the effects of sex on AD epidemiology are currently the subject of intense investigation, the notion of sex-specific clinicopathological AD phenotypes is largely unexplored. In this Review, we critically discuss the evidence for sex-related differences in AD symptomatology, progression, biomarkers, risk factor profiles and treatment. The cumulative evidence reviewed indicates sex-specific patterns of disease manifestation as well as sex differences in the rates of cognitive decline and brain atrophy, suggesting that sex is a crucial variable in disease heterogeneity. We discuss critical challenges and knowledge gaps in our current understanding. Elucidating sex differences in disease phenotypes will be instrumental in the development of a 'precision medicine' approach in AD, encompassing individual, multimodal, biomarker-driven and sex-sensitive strategies for prevention, detection, drug development and treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
Sex-linked Disorders
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision
Electric Potential and Potential Difference
When a test charge moves from the initial to the final position, the electric potential difference between those positions is defined as the ratio of the change in the potential energy to the charge on the...
Difference from Background: Limit of Detection
The LOD indicates the presence or absence...

