Sex Bias in Preclinical Studies: The Case of Gut Microbiota on Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a loss of memory, language, and cognitive ability. It is the most common form of dementia in older adults and represents a major public health problem. Changes in the gut microbiota have been investigated in the development of AD, with studies on this from the last five years using different models of AD in laboratory animals, mainly transgenic mice. Despite the fact that the majority of people diagnosed with AD are women, preclinical studies are still being carried out with male animals. In this review, we analyze the most recent studies on the gut microbiota in AD, recording the methodology used and the presence of sex bias. From the 35 studies selected, 65% used male animals and only 20% used both sexes.