immunity
Immune system sex differences revealed in study of trans men
Adobe
Men are more likely than women to die from Covid-19, but women develop long Covid more often. Researchers understand the basics behind these gendered odds. Men are more vulnerable to infectious disease, while women are more susceptible to autoimmune disorders. What we don't fully understand is: Why?
A study on trans men published yesterday in Nature is the first, per the authors, to comprehensively examine the impact that gender-affirming hormones have on the immune system. But the study also sheds light on the potential factors behind immune differences between the sexes.
The researchers followed almost two dozen trans men who took testosterone. They found that, after a year of treatment, the participants had less of a certain class of immune cell that's linked to autoimmune diseases. But the testosterone also boosted the responses of other cells that regulate responses to infection, including the amount of inflammation behind an immune response. Basically, some aspects of their immune systems were beginning to mirror those of cisgender men. Read more on the fascinating science from STAT's Jonathan Wosen.
infectious disease
A 'marked' increase in global cholera cases and deaths last year
The number of cholera cases around the globe increased 13% in 2023, while deaths increased by 71%, according to new data released yesterday by the WHO. Many of the cases (38%) were among children under the age of 5.
Much of the influx occurred on the African continent, which saw a 125% increase in cases, signifying gaps in access to treatment, a WHO press release noted. Cholera is easy to treat, but an increased demand for supplies such as vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatments including oral rehydration salts and intravenous fluids poses a challenge to global efforts, the agency noted.
"What we don't know is this large surge in outbreaks, which began maybe in late 2021, 2022 — whether this is a new normal and this incredible demand right now will be sustained, or whether this is a phenomenon that will reset over the in the next few years," Julia Lynch, the director of the cholera program at the International Vaccine Institute, told STAT's Nalis Merelli earlier this year.
(Meanwhile, in other global infectious disease news, Moderna reported encouraging results on its mpox vaccine as that outbreak continues to spread in Africa. Read more from STAT's Helen Branswell.)
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