A sex-dimorphic mouse model of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Sexual dimorphism in the incidence of human esophageal cancer, including both esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, shows male dominancy. However, the mechanisms that underlie sexual dimorphism of esophageal cancer have been understudied in vivo due to the lack of sex-dimorphic mouse models. Here, we developed a sex-dimorphic mouse model of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) using a lower amount of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) and a shorter latency of tumorigenesis compared to the traditional carcinogenesis procedures. In this model, we found that male mice were highly sensitive to the tumorigenesis of ESCC whereas female mice were resistant to it. This model provided us an opportunity for investigating the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism of ESCC in vivo and for better understanding the sex-dimorphic incidence of ESCC in humans.