Transgender Mouse Bone Microbiome
Gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is often prescribed to transgender (TG) adolescents to alleviate gender dysphoria but the impact of GAHT on the growing skeleton is unclear. We found GAHT to improve trabecular bone structure via increased bone formation in young male mice and not to affect trabecular structure in female mice. We found GAHT to affect gut microbiome composition, and GAHT-shaped gut microbiome to be a communicable regulator of bone structure and turnover in male, but not in female mice. Specifically, Bacteroides were found to be significant as contributors to the skeletal effects of GAHT in male mice.