Female mice heal skin wounds faster than males, and scientists have uncovered a surprising biological difference that may help explain why. By watching skin stem cells in living mice for five months, researchers found that female cells work together in a more coordinated way, while male cells tend to behave more independently. These differences are regulated by sex hormones and could eventually help scientists develop more personalized treatments for wound healing and skin diseases.
The discovery comes from researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), working with scientists at the University of Cambridge. Their findings suggest that biological sex influences how skin renews and repairs itself, even though the skin is not part of the reproductive system. Historically, much of the research into biological differences between males and females has focused on reproductive organs.
However, sex can also influence other tissues and organs throughout the body. Understanding these differences could be important for improving the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, yet researchers have often overlooked their significance. Published in Nature, the study was led by Prof.
Cédric Blanpain, MD/PhD, an investigator at the WEL Research Institute, director of the Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, and professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles. The research was conducted in collaboration with Prof. Benjamin Simons and his team at the University of Cambridge, along with scientists from several other institutions.
Using an advanced microscopy technique, the researchers were able to record individual cells through the skin of living mice. This allowed them to follow the same stem cells and their descendants for five months, an unprecedented period of observation. Although their original goal was to understand the mechanisms behind skin renewal, the team unexpectedly discovered striking differences between females and males.
Further experiments revealed that sex hormones were responsible. The skin's outermost layer is constantly replacing itself. This process begins with stem cells located at the bottom of the layer, where they divide to produce new cells.
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