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Review
. 2020 Apr;26(5):554-560.
doi: 10.1177/1352458519892491. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

The effect of sex on multiple sclerosis risk and disease progression

Rhonda R Voskuhl  1
Affiliations
Review

The effect of sex on multiple sclerosis risk and disease progression

Rhonda R Voskuhl. Mult Scler. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Sex differences in the incidence or severity of disease characterize many autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease with both autoimmune and neurodegenerative aspects and is characterized by sex differences in susceptibility and progression. Research in the study sex differences is a way to capitalize on a known clinical observation, mechanistically disentangle it at the laboratory bench, then translate basic research findings back to the clinic as a novel treatment trial tailored to optimally benefit each sex. This "Bedside to Bench to Bedside" approach based on sex differences in MS will be reviewed here, first for disease susceptibility then for disability progression.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; neurodegeneration; neuroimaging; neuroimmunology; sex differences.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

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