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LIGHT Study

EMAIL TO JOIN: gender-research@unimelb.edu.au

CALL TO JOIN: 045166 1295.

The Longitudinal Immunology Study of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy is following people over the first 12 months of gender-affirming hormones to understand how their immune system changes.

A non-binary person and their partner taking a selfie in a park. The pair are wearing COVID face masks. — *A non-binary person and their partner (Disabled and Here).*

The LIGHT Study is based at the Gender Clinic at Austin Health and is a collaboration with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Blood and health information are collected at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months following GAHT.

Participants

The LIGHT Study is currently recruiting. The first step is that we need your consent. The Participant Information and Consent Form for trans and gender diverse people, and for people joining the comparator group (cisgender and trans people not using hormones), is available for download here.

For more information, or to participate, email Kylie King at gender-research@unimelb.edu.au or call 045166 1295.

A doctor opening a band-aid, and a woman sitting on a stretcher after receiving a vaccination from the doctor. Both are smiling happily. — *A doctor opening a band-aid after vaccinating a patient (American Academy of Pediatrics Vaccine Photo Project, by SELF).*

Aims

The purpose of the LIGHT Study is to understand how feminising and masculinising GAHT influence the immune system.

We know that there are differences in how male and female immune systems work. Male individuals generally show worse outcome to infection, while female individuals have higher rates of autoimmune disease. What does this mean for transgender individuals on GAHT? Will susceptibility to certain immune conditions worsen or improve? How about responses to vaccines or infections?

In this study, we will study how immune cell phenotype and function change following GAHT, using state-of-the-art molecular biology, cell biology, and ‘systems immunology’ approaches.

Our Research

This research is supported by the Allen Distinguished Investigator program, a Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

We previously discussed the concept of sexual dimorphism in immune function and showed that GAHT can change epigenetic marks in blood and markers in the blood, changing these profile towards the opposite sex.