New research from the University of Liverpool, published today in Scientific Reports, suggests that aging has distinct and opposite effects on degenerative diseases like tendinopathy in males and females.
Tendinopathy is common among athletes and manual workers, and development of tendon injuries is known to increase in frequency with age.
The research team from the University's Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease analyzed gene datasets from male and females from two age groups (20-24 and 54-70 years) to identify sex-specific gene expression changes with age. They found distinct molecular pathways that affect tendon aging dependent on gender.
Specifically, in older males decreased expression of CRABP2 leads to cell proliferation, whereas in older females it leads to cellular senescence.
"Our research highlights the possible need to treat tendon disease differently in males and females because alternative mechanisms may be involved," explains lead researcher Mandy Peffers.
Just as important, according to the team, is the importance of considering gender differences in gene expression studies, which often only include male experimental animal models.
Image: Achilles tendon rupture. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.