SAMHD1 and infection: However, even though male PBMCs were proliferating in response to infection, all measured T cell markers were significantly lower in males than females in infected groups, suggesting a weakened T cell response in males in the presence of C. neoformans. This finding could also be due to differences in the phosphorylation state of SAMHD1 during C. neoformans infection, as the authors found that sex influenced the phosphorylation state of SAMHD1 during HIV-1 infection, which translated into decreased macrophage susceptibility in females [57].