Sex and Gender Medicine–Physiology: A New Horizon in Human Physiology
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sex gender physiology; neurological diseases; bioactive compounds; drug delivery system; in vitro toxicology; metal toxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, the analysis of the biological and sociocultural differences between sexes has gained increasing relevance in medical and scientific research. It is now well established that sex, the set of biological and physiological characteristics that distinguish individuals, and gender, a sociocultural construct defining the roles and social expectations associated with different sexes, profoundly influence the physiological mechanisms underlying health and disease. This has significant implications for prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies.
The scientific literature has extensively documented how factors such as hormonal profiles, immune responses, enzymatic activity, and gene regulation can differ significantly between sexes. These variables influence not only the onset and progression of diseases but also individual responses to pharmacological treatments, suggesting that sex can play a crucial role in pharmacology and personalized medicine.
This Special Issue aims to examine the molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms underlying the physiological differences observed between the sexes across, for example, the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, immune, neurophysiological, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. The topics to be explored include the following:
- The fundamental role of sexual hormones in the development and regulation of various biological systems, with a particular focus on their long-term effects on health;
- Sex-specific differences in gene regulation, including an analysis of the epigenetic mechanisms that may modulate gene expression in response to environmental factors;
- Comparative neurophysiology, highlighting differences between males and females in terms of cognitive and behavioral functions;
- The impact of sex on responses to oxidative stress and inflammatory processes, which may have important long-term health consequences;
- The examination of the pathophysiology of chronic diseases through a sex and gender lens to identify more targeted therapeutic approaches.
Additionally, proposals will be presented for the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies based on sex-specific evidence. We warmly invite the scientific community to contribute their original articles, systematic reviews, experimental studies, and prospective research, with the shared goal of enriching our understanding of human physiology and promoting the advancement of medicine that is increasingly personalized, equitable, and grounded in solid scientific evidence.
Dr. Rosanna Mallamaci
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- sex and gender
- personalized medicine
- sex-specific evidence
- sex-specific differences
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