The SEBBM Journal is a channel for analysis, reflection and dissemination of scientific activity in Spain and of public and private research policies. Its origins date back to 1963 and it currently publishes thematic issues covering transversal research in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. The articles are commissioned by the best specialists in the subject. Each issue also highlights the most relevant educational and scientific work of SEBBM members, as well as SEBBM news.
The current issue ‘Sex in Biomedical Research' (nº 228, March 2026) has been coordinated by Dr. Malu Martínez-Chantar from Liver Disease Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Spain.
'For years, medicine has been built on an implicit foundation: the male biological model as a universal reference. However, scientific evidence accumulated in recent decades has shown that biological sex
and gender profoundly influence health and disease, from the molecular level to clinical manifestation. Precision medicine is advancing rapidly, and the consideration of sex and gender in the design, analysis and interpretation of biomedical research is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Basic research provides clear examples of this. Recent studies have shown that mitochondrial factors such as the dysregulation of SIRT4, a sirtuin that modulates energy homeostasis and oxidative stress, have different effects depending on the hormonal context and sex. In murine models of liver cancer, the loss of SIRT4 enhances specific oncogenic pathways such as FOXM1, which could explain differences observed in tumour aggressiveness between men and women.
The liver, as a key organ in energy and hormonal metabolism, also shows remarkable sensitivity to biological sex. Metabolic liver diseases, such as hepatic steatosis (MASLD), not only have different prevalences between men and women, but their clinical evolution and response to treatment also differ significantly.
The central nervous system represents another paradigmatic example. The female and male brains differ not only in anatomical structures, but also in molecular pathways and epigenetic mechanisms modulated by sex hormones. These differences determine differential vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases: women have a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's, while men are more prone to Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, brain ageing and neuroinflammation progress differently in both sexes, which should have implications for the development of personalised therapies.
Fortunately, the regulatory framework and scientific policies have begun to incorporate this evidence. The main funding agencies, both at national and European level, now require the inclusion of sex as a biological variable in experimental designs. However, the challenge now is to move from the regulatory framework to actual practice. The integration of sex and gender in biomedical research requires a cultural, methodological and educational transformation. It is necessary for those who design and carry out the experiments to incorporate these variables from the outset, and for the evaluation committees and scientific journals to adopt clear criteria to require and assess this inclusion.'
Issue nº 228 of SEBBM Journal includes four articles on these topics. The issue is available at https://sebbm.es/revista/numeros/sexo-en-investigacion-biomedica/
Part of this post is a translation of text written in Spanish by Dr. Malu Martínez-Chantar from Liver Disease Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Spain, and published on the SEBBM website on March, 2026.
References:
Leiva M, Cubero FJ. 2026. Ejemplos de dimorfismo sexual biológico: cáncer de hígado y sistema inmunitario. SEBBM. 228. https://doi.org/10.18567/sebbmrev_228.202603.dc3
Matheu A, Landa J, Grassi D, Arévalo MA. 2026. Abordaje de las enfermedades neurológicas con perspectiva de sexo a lo largo del ciclo vital: desarrollo y envejecimiento. SEBBM 228. https://doi.org/10.18567/sebbmrev_228.202603.dc4
Anguita J. 2026. Aspectos regulatorios y éticos relativos al sexo en la investigación biomédica con humanos y modelos animales. SEBBM 228. https://doi.org/10.18567/sebbmrev_228.202603.dc5