Among many mysteries of molecular psychiatry, researchers have long wondered why females are more prone to depression and stress-related anxiety than males.  A possible explanation now comes from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where stress studies showed that female rats produce a hormone-corticotropin-releasing factor-that binds more tightly to neuron receptors than it does in male rats.  It is yet uncertain whether sex differences in CRT signaling play a role in human adaptation to stress, but if so, drug manufacturers will have to take gender into account for dosing.   MORE