Sex, Gender, the Aging Lung: Epigenetic Findings in COPD

Sex and gender differences are apparent in health and disease and aduring aging. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death with pronounced sex and gender differences associated with disease susceptibility and severity. Studying genetics and (epi)genomics will allow the development of holistic approaches to modeling the molecular differences that may be further exacerbated for COPD as a disease of accelerated aging. The hope is that big data and sex and gender aware systems and network medicine approaches will inform innovations for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative approaches to COPD as a disease of aging.

Learning Objectives:

1. Overview associations with sex/ gender and lung disease

2. Note a role for the (epi)genome in sex differeneccs in the lung

3. Propose a role for Networks to integrate sex and gender differences in understanding COPD