Study Reveals One Reason Brain Tumors are More Common in Men

In a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found reasons indicating why brain tumors occur more often in males and are frequently more harmful compared to similar tumors in females. The researchers found that retinoblastoma protein (RB), a protein known to reduce cancer risk, is significantly less active in male brain cells than in female brain cells. “This is the first time anyone has ever identified a sex-linked difference that affects tumor risk and is intrinsic to cells, and that’s very exciting,” said a senior author of the study. The results of the study suggest that sex-based differences at the level of the cell may not only influence cancer risk, but also the effectiveness of the treatment. RB is the target of drugs currently being evaluated in clinical trials. To read more about this study, click here.