Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy
Sex differences in immune system development and response to pathogens has been well documented, with females exhibiting more favorable outcomes for certain infections but a higher incidence of autoimmune disease compared to males. At least some of these sex differences are mediated by sex hormones,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1501959/full |
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| author | Den Celestra Nhi N. L. Nguyen Camille Laberthonniere Ken C. Pang Ken C. Pang Richard Saffery Rachel A. Davey Musa Mhlanga Ada S. Cheung Ada S. Cheung Boris Novakovic |
| author_facet | Den Celestra Nhi N. L. Nguyen Camille Laberthonniere Ken C. Pang Ken C. Pang Richard Saffery Rachel A. Davey Musa Mhlanga Ada S. Cheung Ada S. Cheung Boris Novakovic |
| author_sort | Den Celestra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sex differences in immune system development and response to pathogens has been well documented, with females exhibiting more favorable outcomes for certain infections but a higher incidence of autoimmune disease compared to males. At least some of these sex differences are mediated by sex hormones, which signal through sex hormone receptors to remodel the regulatory chromatin landscape of cells. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of how sex hormone receptors remodel chromatin structure and epigenetic marks in different contexts in humans. As the epigenome is fundamental to specifying cell identity and function, and reflects past exposures, epigenetic variation can influence cellular responses to future stimuli. This has implications for susceptibility to infection and complex inflammatory disease in a range of hormone therapy settings, including gender-affirming hormone therapy in transgender people. Therefore, profiling of epigenetic marks in the context of gender-affirming hormone therapy is an important unexplored field of research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7fc3e78ffb424f1eaa8aea2fca6441fd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7fc3e78ffb424f1eaa8aea2fca6441fd2025-08-20T03:52:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-05-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15019591501959Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapyDen Celestra0Nhi N. L. Nguyen1Camille Laberthonniere2Ken C. Pang3Ken C. Pang4Richard Saffery5Rachel A. Davey6Musa Mhlanga7Ada S. Cheung8Ada S. Cheung9Boris Novakovic10Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaMurdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaRadboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences RIMLS, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsMurdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Adolescent Medicine, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaMurdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Medicine Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, AustraliaRadboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences RIMLS, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDepartment of Medicine Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaMurdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaSex differences in immune system development and response to pathogens has been well documented, with females exhibiting more favorable outcomes for certain infections but a higher incidence of autoimmune disease compared to males. At least some of these sex differences are mediated by sex hormones, which signal through sex hormone receptors to remodel the regulatory chromatin landscape of cells. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of how sex hormone receptors remodel chromatin structure and epigenetic marks in different contexts in humans. As the epigenome is fundamental to specifying cell identity and function, and reflects past exposures, epigenetic variation can influence cellular responses to future stimuli. This has implications for susceptibility to infection and complex inflammatory disease in a range of hormone therapy settings, including gender-affirming hormone therapy in transgender people. Therefore, profiling of epigenetic marks in the context of gender-affirming hormone therapy is an important unexplored field of research.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1501959/fullepigeneticssex hormonesestrogentestosteroneestrogen receptorgender-affirming hormonal therapy |
| spellingShingle | Den Celestra Nhi N. L. Nguyen Camille Laberthonniere Ken C. Pang Ken C. Pang Richard Saffery Rachel A. Davey Musa Mhlanga Ada S. Cheung Ada S. Cheung Boris Novakovic Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy Frontiers in Immunology epigenetics sex hormones estrogen testosterone estrogen receptor gender-affirming hormonal therapy |
| title | Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| title_full | Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| title_fullStr | Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| title_short | Epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| title_sort | epigenetic remodeling by sex hormone receptors and implications for gender affirming hormone therapy |
| topic | epigenetics sex hormones estrogen testosterone estrogen receptor gender-affirming hormonal therapy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1501959/full |
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