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Main Category: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Also Included In: Dermatology
Article Date: 23 Mar 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
'Inhibitor Causing Male Pattern Baldness Discovered'
A study published in Science Translational Medicine, from the University of Pennsylvania, explains that scientists looking for the holy grail in beauty treatment have discovered an abnormal quantity of a protein, called Prostaglandin D2, present in the scalp of bald men, that they think may be responsible for their hair loss.
Their work should lead directly to the creation of new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men, known as male pattern baldness. The problem of male pattern baldness is seen to varying degrees in 8 of 10 men under 70 years old. It causes hair follicles to shrink and produce microscopic hairs. These grow for a shorter duration than normal follicles, meaning that follicles just don't replace at the fast enough rate for the loss of normal ones.
The prostaglandin, known as PGD2 and its derivative, 15-dPGJ2, have been shown to inhibit hair growth in both human and animal models. The PGD2-related inhibition is associated with a receptor: GPR44, which is now looking as though it will be a promising therapeutic target for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in both men and women with hair loss and thinning.
George Cotsarelis, MD, chair and professor of Dermatology, and senior author on the studies, explains how his work is building on a previous study from Penn. University published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation last year :
"Although a different prostaglandin was known to increase hair growth, our findings were unexpected, as prostaglandins haven't been thought about in relation to hair loss, yet it made sense that there was an inhibitor of hair growth, based on our earlier work looking at hair follicle stem cells."
More importantly, and giving hope to millions of bald people everywhere, it appears that the underlying hair follicle stem cells are intact. This seems to suggest that the scalp is either lacking an activator or has been inhibited from creating new follicle growth. In the past, general thinking was that the follicles had died permanently, hence leading baldness treatments have involved using new follicles taken from elsewhere on the scalp.
Researchers write that they took an unbiased approach when searching for possible biological causes of baldness. They looked in scalp tissue from balding and non-bald spots from men with male pattern baldness. They then cross-checked their findings in mouse models, where levels of PGD2 were elevated in bald scalp tissue at levels 3 times greater than what was found in comparative haired scalp of men with androgenetic alopecia.
When PGD2 was added to cultured hair follicles, PGD2-treated hair was significantly shortened, while PGD2's derivative, 15-dPGJ2, completely inhibited hair growth.
Prostaglandins are well understood in their role in many bodily functions. They control cell growth, constrict and dilate smooth muscle tissue, and a different prostaglandin (F2alpha) has been seen to increase hair growth. PGD2 on the other hand, inhibits hair growth.
The researchers also make note that prostaglandins may represent a common pathway shared by both men and women with AGA, although so far, they have only looked at male test results. A topical treatment to target GPR44, will determine whether focusing on prostaglandins will benefit women with AGA as well.
Written by Rupert Shepherd
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
8 Jun. 2012.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
posted by Dr Rafiq Tareen Pathan on 4 Apr 2012 at 8:25 am
After reading this article , it confirms to someextend that the UVB PHtotherapy used in AGA shows the results as it suppresses the activity of Prostaglandins inhibiting the Hair growth. I do see good results of using the UVB PHOTOTHERAPY withy Minoxidil etc.
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posted by Kaku Kyiamah on 29 Mar 2012 at 2:52 pm
Prostaglandins are produced by polyunsaturated fatty acids, which enter the body when we eat polyunsaturated vegetable oils and unfermented grains. Polyunsaturated fatty acids do no useful work in the body. Prostaglandins have been identified as being involved in many diseases, including the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in heart attacks, cancers, asthma, erectile dysfunction in men, dysmenorrhea (menstrual pains)and inelastic vagina in women. Why eat polyunsaturated vegetable oils (thanks to FDA and AHA) and then get ailments and diseases which are difficult to cure.
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posted by micah on 28 Mar 2012 at 8:13 am
alright, now they need to pump out some medicine to fix it!
I neeeed hair!
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posted by Pete Watkins on 22 Mar 2012 at 3:16 pm
THANK GOD! It is about time we solve this issue. I have been fighting male pattern baldness for several years now (topical and propecia) I hope they fast track this medicine as it would greatly improve my quality of living. I have also written my senator to sponsor legislation that this be "medically necessary" and require insurance companies to provide for free Propecia and Minoxidil!!
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posted by Steve Wood on 22 Mar 2012 at 1:32 pm
You can use Polysorbite 80 on your folicles and reduce the DHT in yout scalp and regrow hair. The FDA dis alowed it years ago, It's safe on inexpensive.Wh oare they protecting?
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'Inhibitor Causing Male Pattern Baldness Discovered'
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