Males are twice as likely to develop ALS compared to females and the disease onset is also earlier in males than females. However, the mechanisms underlying the sex differences in disease are poorly understood (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-024-00991-7).
My project aims to investigate the brain-body mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in ALS. Specifically, I will focus on microbiome-derived signals that could trigger different immune and metabolic responses in the gut-brain axis of male vs. female mice with ALS. Because the gut microbiome is a modifiable target, my findings may serve as a basis for gut microbiome targeted and sex-specific therapies for ALS.
