Study finds gender differences in small bowel microbiome

Investigators at Cedars‑Sinai Health Sciences University have reported sex‑specific variations in the composition and spatial organization of the small‑bowel microbiome. The research, which appears in the peer‑reviewed journal iScience, compared microbial samples from the duodenum and jejunum of adult men and women and identified distinct bacterial profiles and clustering patterns that differed by gender.

The authors suggest that these microbial disparities may help explain why certain gastrointestinal and systemic disorders occur more frequently in women, offering a potential biological basis for observed epidemiological trends. Further studies are planned to assess how these differences influence disease mechanisms and whether targeted microbiome interventions could mitigate sex‑related health risks.