Female mouse skin stem cells work in synchrony, revealing why wounds heal faster

Sex hormones regulate stem cell coordination, opening path to sex-specific wound treatments

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Scientists have discovered that skin stem cells in female mice coordinate their behaviour in synchronised waves, while male stem cells act more independently, a difference driven by sex hormones that helps explain why skin wounds heal faster in females. The finding, published in Nature, could lead to more personalised treatments for wound healing, burns and skin cancer.

Researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Cambridge used advanced microscopy to track individual skin stem cells in living mice over five months, an unprecedented period of observation. They found that in females, pairs of “sister” cells produced by cell division almost always make the same developmental decision at the same time — both dividing again or both beginning to specialise. In males, sister cells follow more independent patterns.

“We were surprised to discover strong differences in the way stem cells renew the skin in females and males,” said Doctor Dan Engelman, the study’s first author.

To determine the cause, the team manipulated sex hormones. Castrating male mice, which removes the main source of testosterone, made their skin cells behave more like those of females. Administering dihydrotestosterone (DHT) reversed the effect. Removing the ovaries in females reduced stem cell proliferation and nearly eliminated the synchronisation between sister cells; treatment with estradiol restored proliferation.

The experiments showed that testosterone, more abundant in males, accelerates the rate at which stem cells mature and leave the stem cell layer, while oestrogens, more abundant in females, promote stem cell proliferation and coordinate the behaviour of newly formed cells.

Female mice recovered from skin wounds substantially faster than males, particularly in the first days after injury. The early advantage was linked to skin stem cells becoming active sooner and working in a more coordinated manner.

The researchers also tested testosterone on human skin reconstructed in the laboratory and found that the hormone accelerated stem cell differentiation, suggesting at least part of the mechanism may operate in humans.

Doctors have long observed differences between men and women in wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions and skin cancer rates, but the biological basis has been unclear. The new findings provide a mechanism and could eventually inform sex-specific treatments for burns, surgical recovery, chronic diabetic wounds and skin cancer prevention.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Offers a biological explanation for long-observed sex differences in wound healing and skin disease severity, moving beyond anecdotal clinical knowledge.
Could lead to treatments tailored by sex, improving outcomes for burns, surgery recovery and chronic wounds that affect millions.
Opens new avenues for skin cancer prevention by understanding how sex hormones influence stem cell behaviour.

Background

The skin’s outermost layer is constantly renewed by stem cells at its base. These cells divide and produce daughter cells that either remain stem cells or begin differentiating into specialised skin cells. For decades, scientists debated the exact organisation of this renewal process. This study used prolonged live imaging to reveal an intermediate stage in which cells can divide only a limited number of times before maturing — and unexpectedly discovered that this process differs markedly between the sexes.

Key Perspectives

Sex and medicine researchers: The study provides a clear biological pathway for sex-based differences in skin, supporting the case for including sex as a variable in preclinical research and treatment development. Clinicians in wound care and dermatology: Understanding hormonal regulation of stem cells could lead to better healing strategies for men and women, although the work is still in mice and requires human validation. Critics/Sceptics: The findings are demonstrated in mice; how closely the mechanisms match human skin remains to be confirmed. The study tested testosterone on lab-reconstructed human skin with promising results, but clinical translation will take years of further research.

What to Watch

Follow-up human studies testing the effect of sex hormones on skin stem cells in vivo.
Clinical trials exploring whether hormonal modulation (e.g., topical oestrogen) improves wound healing in human patients.
Whether differences in stem cell coordination correlate with sex-specific skin cancer incidence rates.

Sources

Scientists discover that male and female skin play by different rules · Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedFemale mouse skin stem cells work in synchrony, revealing why wounds heal fasterLatest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Female mice heal skin wounds faster than males, and scientists have uncovered a surprising biological difference that may help explain why.”
SupportedSex hormones regulate stem cell coordination, opening path to sex-specific wound treatmentsLatest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Sex hormones control how skin cells behave”
Supported"We were surprised to discover strong differences in the way stem cells renew the skin in females and males," said Doctor Dan Engelman, the study’s first author.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “"We initially set out to understand how the skin renews itself, and whether there is a hierarchy with stem cells at the top. We were surprised to discover strong differences in the way stem cells renew the skin in females and males," explains Doctor Dan Engelman, the first author of the study.”
Partly supportedThey found that in females, pairs of 'sister' cells produced by cell division almost always make the same developmental decision at the same time — both dividing again or both beginning to specialise.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “in female mice, two 'sister' cells produced by the division of a single parent cell frequently make the same developmental decision at the same time.”
Partly supportedThe early advantage was linked to skin stem cells becoming active sooner and working in a more coordinated manner.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “This early advantage was partly associated with skin stem cells becoming active sooner and working in a more coordinated manner.”
SupportedThe experiments showed that testosterone, more abundant in males, accelerates the rate at which stem cells mature and leave the stem cell layer, while oestrogens, more abundant in females, promote stem cell proliferation and coordinate the behaviour of newly formed cells.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “testosterone, which is generally more abundant in males, influences the speed of skin cell maturation. Estrogens, which are generally more abundant in females, promote stem cell proliferation and help coordinate the behavior of newly produced cells.”
SupportedResearchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of CambridgeLatest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), working with scientists at the University of Cambridge.”
Supportedused advanced microscopy to track individual skin stem cells in living mice over five months, an unprecedented period of observation.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Using an advanced microscopy technique ... This allowed them to follow the same stem cells and their descendants for five months, an unprecedented period of observation.”
SupportedFemale mice recovered from skin wounds substantially faster than males, particularly in the first days after injury.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “female mice recovered more quickly from skin injuries ... wounds closed substantially faster in females, particularly during the first few days after injury.”
SupportedThe researchers also tested testosterone on human skin reconstructed in the laboratory and found that the hormone accelerated stem cell differentiation, suggesting at least part of the mechanism may operate in humans.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “The researchers also tested testosterone on human skin reconstructed in the laboratory. They found that the hormone accelerated stem cell differentiation, suggesting that at least part of the mechanism observed in mice may also operate in humans.”
SupportedDoctors have long observed differences between men and women in wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions and skin cancer rates, but the biological basis has been unclear.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “Doctors have long recognized differences between men and women in wound healing, the severity of certain inflammatory conditions, and the frequency of some skin cancers. However, the underlying biological explanations have remained incomplete.”
SupportedThe new findings provide a mechanism and could eventually inform sex-specific treatments for burns, surgical recovery, chronic diabetic wounds and skin cancer prevention.Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily: “The findings could eventually contribute to medical treatments that account for a patient's sex. Potential applications include improving recovery from burns and surgery, as well as treating chronic wounds in people with diabetes ... also help researchers develop new approaches to preventing skin cancer.”