When we see new scientific breakthroughs we like to think they apply universally. But what neuroscience reveals is that the reality is almost always more nuanced. Since the early days of medical research, male subjects have been treated as the prototype, while females are often underrepresented or fully excluded. Because of this oversight, valuable gaps in knowledge continue to leave half of the population behind.
For example, according to the work of Dr. Hoffman and her team, a drug called JNJ-55511118 targeting TARP ɣ-8 AMPA receptors was tested to see if it would reduce alcohol intake. They found that in male mice, the drug worked as intended in reducing self-administration. However in female mice there was zero effect on alcohol consumption. Even more fascinatingly, female mice actually consumed more alcohol at baseline, yet the drug still failed to change their behavior.
This result alone means male and female brains have differing biological pathways when it comes to alcohol reinforcement. Rather than a failure, Hoffman’s work proves exactly why testing both sexes is so pressing in research, otherwise the drug would be a completely useless treatment for an entire sex.
These findings from her research directly connect to the patterns explored in the article Examining Gender in Alcohol Research… as Cook et al. analyze how gender biases manifest across research. Historically, medical research treats men’s drinking as a biological disease, while treating women’s drinking as a behavioral flaw.
Interestingly, the data shows that men even consume more alcohol and experience more alcohol related harm, however women are scrutinized more. While there has been significant growth in alcohol literature on women since the 1970s, men and women continue to be differentially researched instead of being evaluated through a more integrative lens.
Just because alcohol affects everyone does not mean that it affects every brain in the same way.
When studies ignore biological sex or focus only on male subjects, the consequences are seen across all of medicine. Women miss out on countless advancements not just in addiction research, but healthcare as a whole. The science repeatedly proves that female biology is distinct, however research continuously fails to act on it.
If we want to be smarter consumers of neuroscience literature, we cannot afford to keep accepting male centered research as universal truth. We have to demand inclusivity in science, as this is where we can discover the most valuable of findings. Moving forward it is always worth questioning if the research is for humanity or just for man. In this way we cooperate in driving better science where the results can translate to everyone regardless of sex.
Works Cited
Cook, Megan, et al. “Examining Gender in Alcohol Research: A Systematic Review of Gender Differences in How Men and Women Are Studied in Alcohol Research.” International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 138, Elsevier BV, Apr. 2025, p. 104763, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104763.
Hoffman, Jessica L., et al. “Inhibition of AMPA Receptors (AMPARs) Containing Transmembrane AMPAR Regulatory Protein γ-8 with JNJ-55511118 Shows Preclinical Efficacy in Reducing Chronic Repetitive Alcohol Self-Administration.” Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, vol. 45, no. 7, July 2021, pp. 1424–35, https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14639.
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