Penis development needs more than just testes and testosterone
Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 14:30
in Health & Medicine
Proper development of the fetal penis requires not just testosterone from the testes, but a second hormone produced by other tissues, including the placenta, according to a new study publishing February 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology from Paul Fowler of the University of Aberdeen, Michelle Bellingham of the University of Glasgow, and colleagues in the UK, France and Sweden. The results reveal a previously unknown pathway of masculinization of the external genitals, and may explain why placental dysfunction is associated with disorders of male genital development.