Sex-Specific Therapeutic Strategies Based On Neuroactive Steroids: In Search For

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Horm Behav. 2009 Jun 11.

Sex-Specific Therapeutic Strategies Based On Neuroactive Steroids: In Search For

Innovative Tools For Neuroprotection.

Melcangi RC, -Segura LM.

Department of Endocrinology, Pathophysiology and Applied Biology- Center of

Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Different pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system show sex

differences in their incidence, symptomatology and/or neurodegenerative outcome.

These include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease,

multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, stroke, autism, schizophrenia,

depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and peripheral neuropathy.

These sex differences call for the search for sex-specific neuroprotective

strategies. This review article and other manuscripts published in this issue of

Hormones and Behavior analyze possible sex-specific therapeutic strategies based

on neuroactive steroids. In particular in our introductory article, the

possibility that sex differences in the levels or in the action of neuroactive

steroids may represent causative factors for sex differences in the incidence or

manifestation of pathologies of the nervous system is considered.