Sex as an important factor in nanomedicine

Nanomedicine has demonstrated substantial potential to improve the quality and efficacy of healthcare systems. Although the promise of nanomedicine to transform conventional medicine is evident, significant numbers of therapeutic nanomedicine products have failed in clinical trials. Most studies in nanomedicine have overlooked several important factors, including the significance of sex differences at various physiological levels. This report attempts to highlight the importance of sex in nanomedicine at cellular and molecular level. A more thorough consideration of sex physiology, among other critical variations (e.g., health status of individuals), would enable researchers to design and develop safer and more-efficient sex-specific diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine products. Given the early failing of therapeutic nanomedicine in the clinic the importance of understanding bio-nano interactions and biosystem parameters has gained much attention. Here, the authors review the work to date that looks at the impact of sex on the applications and outcomes of nanomedicine.

Automated summary

The role and impact of sex in nanomedicine are crucial, including differences at the cellular and molecular levels. Researchers should pay more attention to the role of sex physiology in nanomedicine to design and develop safer and more efficient sex-specific nanomedicine products.