The Neuroimmune Gender Gap in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Paradigm Shift in Precision Psychiatry
The Neuroimmune Gender Gap in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Paradigm Shift in Precision Psychiatry Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) remains a global public health burden, affecting both men and women. However, emergent research indicates a greater vulnerability in women, not only to medical complications like cancer, liver disease, and cardiovascular problems, but critically to neuroimmune system dysfunction . A pivotal new study in Biological Psychiatry (May 2025) provides compelling evidence of sex-specific differences in how alcohol impacts the brain’s immune cells, shedding light on gendered pathways in addiction biology biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com . Microglia: The Brain’s Immune Gatekeepers Microglia are the CNS’s resident immune cells, critical for maintaining homeostasis, clearing debris, and responding to injury. Acute alcohol exposure can activate microglia, triggering neuroinflammation. Chronic activation potentiates damage to neuronal circuits and may contribute t...