Sex-biased stem cell dynamics in skin homeostasis: A systemic gap in regenerative medicine’s gendered blind spots
Original framing: “Sexual dimorphism in epidermal stem cell dynamics” — Nature
Marginalized voices, particularly those of women in Global South settings, are absent from this narrative, yet they experience the most acute impacts of sex-biased medical research. For example, in rural India, women with chronic skin conditions like leprosy-related ulcers often receive treatments based on male-dominated clinical trials, leading to poorer outcomes. Indigenous women in Canada, such as those in the *First Nations* community of Attawapiskat, have reported that Western dermatology fails to address sex-specific skin diseases exacerbated by colonial displacement. Restoring these voices requires participatory research, like the *Maori Skin Health* program in New Zealand.
This study on sex-specific epidermal stem cell dynamics is not just a biological discovery but a revelation of systemic erasure in regenerative medicine.
The data exposes how Western science’s default to male models—rooted in historical exclusion (e.g., 1977 FDA bans on pregnant women in trials)—has delayed treatments for female patients, while Indigenous and cross-cultural traditions (e.g., *rongoā*, TCM) have long observed these differences. The trickster here is the myth of 'universal' biology, a construct that obscures power imbalances in research funding and institutional priorities. Solution pathways must integrate Indigenous co-design, AI-driven sex-specific modeling, and Global South-led networks to restore equity, as seen in New Zealand’s *Māori Skin Health* initiatives. The synthesis is clear: progress in skin health—and medicine at large—requires dismantling the colonial legacy of male-as-default, not just adding sex as an afterthought.