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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Extra Cellular Matrix-Based and Extra Cellular Matrix-Free Generation of Murine Testicular Organoids
Published on: October 7, 2020
Sex differences orchestrated by androgens at single-cell resolution
Fei Li1, Xudong Xing2, Qiqi Jin1,3,4
1Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
None:
Sex differences in mammalian complex traits are prevalent and are intimately associated with androgens1-7. However, a molecular and cellular profile of sex differences and their modulation by androgens is still lacking. Here we constructed a high-dimensional single-cell transcriptomic atlas comprising over 2.3 million cells from 17 tissues in Mus musculus and explored the effects of sex and androgens on the molecular programs and cellular populations. In particular, we found that sex-biased immune gene expression and immune cell populations, such as group 2 innate lymphoid cells, were modulated by androgens. Integration with the UK Biobank dataset revealed potential cellular targets and risk gene enrichment in antigen presentation for sex-biased diseases. This study lays the groundwork for understanding the sex differences orchestrated by androgens and provides important evidence for targeting the androgen pathway as a broad therapeutic strategy for sex-biased diseases.
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