Sex chromosomes drive how bodies deal with cancer, heart health, and more

Research published in Science reveals that X and Y chromosomes influence health beyond sex determination, affecting diseases like cancer, heart issues, and more. These chromosomes impact cell function, aging, and disease response, not just through hormones. Co-led by University of Arizona Cancer Center physician-scientist Dan Theodorescu and Dena B. Dubal, the review highlights the direct role of X and Y chromosomes in immunity, metabolism, brain aging, cancer, and heart disease.

The study's findings suggest that the genes on X and Y chromosomes, rather than hormone levels, determine disease risk, progression, and therapeutic responses across key health areas. In women, one X chromosome is largely switched off early in development, but some genes stay active and can switch back on with age, providing extra copies of certain genes.

In men, loss of the Y chromosome, especially in blood, is linked to cancers, heart disease, severe infections, and Alzheimer's disease. The review also explores how the loss of sex chromosomes can act as biomarkers or contributors to age-related diseases. Understanding these cellular differences, researchers say, could lead to personalized medical care, improving diagnosis, treatment, and clinical trial design by considering each patient's unique profile.

The review was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.