A new analysis of data on the relative protein abundances of nearly 6,000 human proteins in blood samples from the Fenland and UK Biobank studies finds that while the levels of two-thirds of these proteins differed between males and females, in only a very small fraction could this be attibuted to differences between the sexes in the genetic ‘switches’ which control their levels.

The research, published today in Nature Communications, was a collaboration beteen researchers at Queen Mary University of London’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI), the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), and the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

The authors that suggest that non-medical factors such as where people work and live, their education, financial situation, access to resources, as well as their lifestyle also contribute to the health differences experiences between the sexes and so should be explored further and considered more when exploring sex differences in health.

Lead author Dr Mine Koprulu, who was a PhD student at the MRC Epidemiology when much of this analysis was undertaken and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary’s PHURI, said:

For the first time in history, we are able to study human biology at this level of detail—across genes, proteins, and more. This is the largest study to date exploring the similarities and differences in how our genetic code regulates blood protein levels between sexes. Our findings highlight the need to better understand the factors that impact health differences — at the genetic level and beyond— to create more tailored and equitable healthcare for everyone.”

• Read the full story on the Queen Mary University of London news blog
• Read the paper Koprulu M et al. Sex differences in the genetic regulation of the human plasma proteome. Nature Communications (2025) DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-59034-4