Gender-affirming androgen therapy ‘reprograms’ breast tissue in transgender men to more closely resemble cis-male tissue

For the first time, researchers examine the effects of gender-affirming androgen therapy on breast tissue in transgender men with single-cell resolution. Their results give an unprecedented look into the changes that occur as a result of gender-affirming androgen therapy—a common and highly effective form of transgender care—but also have implications for the treatment of breast cancer across all populations. Notably, they show that gene expression in breast cells is silenced, and male gene programs are activated. This work appears in the journal Cell Genomics on March 8.