Sexual Dimorphism in Stem Cell–Based Therapies for the Musculoskeletal System

Musculoskeletal health is one of the areas of medicine in which the differences between males and females are most striking. Differences in disease prevalence, pain sensation, drug handling, and healing responses between individuals have known biologic bases; however, the impact of sex on these biologic processes is unclear. In skeletal muscle tissues, stem cells and progenitor cells are known to persist throughout life and contribute to the ongoing process of repair and regeneration. However, currently, there is a paucity of literature that describes the sex-related differences in satellite cells and other muscle stem cell populations that may have an influence on future stem cell applications. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the sex-related differences in the biology of skeletal muscle and its resident stem cell populations would greatly enhance our ability to devise new individualized treatment strategies for tissue regeneration in many pathologic and non-pathologic conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.