Comprehensive Summary
Koons presents a perspective piece about the role of sex, or current lack thereof, in the testing of biomaterials. Many physiological differences between the two sexes are brought forth and how they cause the need for many different types of biomaterials. Oftentimes one sex is overlooked due to the higher variability in biological functions when biomaterials are being tested, which may cause issues later on in real-world applications of those materials. While the NIH and FDA have some set regulations they are not yet implemented in biomaterials testing. In the article many solutions are presented regarding the differences in sexes and the use of biomaterials could be maximized in both sexes. AI, especially machine learning, is introduced as an untapped source for standardizing and automating such testing, allowing for more individualization of further procedures.
Outcomes and Implications
Focusing on the difference between patients will help medicine progress into a more individualized era of healthcare. Patients will be receiving the most optimal biomaterials, tailored as specifically as possible to fit their physiological needs. The implementation of AI into this field will allow more thorough study of potential effects of the physiological differences between sexes, in order to continue further biomaterials innovation.