{"id":671707,"date":"2025-05-27T16:30:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T13:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T16:30:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T13:30:32","slug":"new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"New explanation for sex differences in age-related diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dccdee419a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dccdee419a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases\/#Inactive_X_chromosome_loosens_with_age\" >Inactive X chromosome loosens with age<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases\/#Many_reactivated_genes_are_linked_to_disease\" >Many reactivated genes are linked to disease<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-explanation-for-sex-differences-in-age-related-diseases\/#A_new_perspective_on_sex-based_differences_in_disease\" >A new perspective on sex-based differences in disease<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/silent-x-chromosome-aw.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/silent-x-chromosome-aw.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is usually inactive and forms the so-called Barr body. The image shows a cell nucleus with the Barr body marked in green. Credit: Daniel Andergassen \/ TUM\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/silent-x-chromosome-aw.jpg\" alt=\"Silent X chromosome awakens with age\" title=\"In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is usually inactive and forms the so-called Barr body. The image shows a cell nucleus with the Barr body marked in green. Credit: Daniel Andergassen \/ TUM\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is usually inactive and forms the so-called Barr body. The image shows a cell nucleus with the Barr body marked in green. Credit: Daniel Andergassen \/ TUM<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Women age differently from men when it comes to health\u2014particularly in conditions like cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia and Parkinson&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has proposed a new explanation for this. In aging female mice, genes on the previously silenced second X chromosome become active again. This mechanism might also influence women&#8217;s health later in life. The study is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43587-025-00856-8\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a> in the journal <i>Nature Aging<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike men, who carry one X and one Y chromosome, women have two X chromosomes in each cell. However, one of the two X chromosomes is effectively silenced. It folds into a compact structure known as the Barr body and can no longer be read. Without this mechanism, the genes on the X chromosome would be read twice as often in women as in men.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists have known for some time that some genes can escape inactivation in the Barr body, resulting in higher gene activity in women. These genes are suspected to influence disease.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have now shown for the first time that with increasing age, more and more genes escape the inactivation of the Barr body,&#8221; says Dr. Daniel Andergassen, group leader at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at TUM.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inactive_X_chromosome_loosens_with_age\"><\/span>Inactive X chromosome loosens with age<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The researchers examined the major organs of mice at different stages of life. In the older animals, the proportion of genes that had escaped was on average twice as high as in adult animals\u20146% instead of 3% of the genes on the X chromosome. In some organs, the numbers were even higher: in the kidneys, for instance, nearly 9%.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With aging, epigenetic processes gradually loosen the tightly packed structure of the inactive X chromosome,&#8221; explains first author Sarah Hoelzl. &#8220;This mainly h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens at the ends of the chromosome, allowing for genes located in those regions to be read again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Many_reactivated_genes_are_linked_to_disease\"><\/span>Many reactivated genes are linked to disease<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many of the genes that become active again with age are associated with disease. &#8220;Our findings are based on mice, but since the X chromosome is very similar in humans, I believe the same may happen in aging women,&#8221; says Andergassen.<\/p>\n<p>Whether this is the case and what effects the reactivated genes may have on disease development will need to be investigated in future studies. According to the researchers, this doubled gene activity could have positive effects in some cases and negative effects in others.<\/p>\n<p>ACE2, for example\u2014a gene that escapes in the lungs with age\u2014can help limit pulmonary fibrosis. Increased activity of the gene TLR8 in old age, however, may play a role in autoimmune diseases such as late-onset lupus.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_new_perspective_on_sex-based_differences_in_disease\"><\/span>A new perspective on sex-based differences in disease<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Sex differences in age-related disease are incredibly complex,&#8221; says Andergassen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So far, scientific explanations have mostly focused on hormonal or lifestyle factors. While the role of the X chromosome and some escape genes have been studied before, the discovery that many genes on the inactive X can reactivate with age opens up entirely new lines of research. &#8220;<\/p>\n<p>This insight could offer an alternative to hormonal explanations and help improve our understanding of sex differences in age-related diseases\u2014perhaps even contribute to answering the fundamental question of why women statistically live longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                    Sarah Hoelzl et al, Aging promotes reactivation of the Barr body at distal chromosome regions, <i>Nature Aging<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s43587-025-00856-8\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1038\/s43587-025-00856-8<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTechnical University Munich<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tum.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Silent X chromosome awakens with age: New explanation for sex differences in age-related diseases (2025, May 27)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 27 May 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-05-silent-chromosome-awakens-age-explanation.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-05-silent-chromosome-awakens-age-explanation.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is usually inactive and forms the so-called Barr body. The image shows a cell nucleus with the Barr body marked in green. Credit: Daniel Andergassen \/ TUM Women age differently from men when it comes to health\u2014particularly in conditions like cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders such&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":671708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/silent-x-chromosome-aw.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-671707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=671707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/671708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=671707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=671707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=671707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}