Grant: Catalyst Grant: Sex as a Variable in Biomedical Research

Metabolic diseases affect millions of men and women in North America. Obesity and Type 2 diabetes will likely affect one third of the population by 2050. Men and women develop metabolic disease in different ways, and women are more protected from metabolic diseases until menopause, suggesting important difference in physiology due to sex. However, scientific studies required for new treatments to be approved for use in humans (i.e. how a drug works and how well it works) are mainly done in only males (animals and people). This practice in early phases of testing prevents us from knowing whether males versus females could respond differently. FGF21 is one new therapeutic target currently being tested for its ability to treat a variety of metabolic diseases, due to its impressive benefits on cardiovascular, liver and fat metabolism in male mice and humans. However, FGF21 biology in females is virtually uncharacterized. We will investigate and directly compare sex-specific responses to FGF21 in models of obesity and liver disease caused by poor diet. This research will provide a better framework as to whether FGF21 is an effective drug to treat metabolic disease in both men and women.