New Discovery Paves the Road for Baldness Treatment
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have found that the problem of baldness affecting millions of people is caused by a hacking-like action that impairs communication among normal cell.
The ability of any cell to grow and gain immunity depends on its effective interaction with cells in the body, scientifically known as "cell signaling." But researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered during their study conducted on rats that the signal path, known as "WNT" that controls hair growth, could be obstructed by natural inhibitors practicing a hacking-like action that prevent its access to skin cells.
According to the study published in the journal Cell Reports, and briefed by the Health Line website, the pathway that connects the WNT to the skin cells is embedded in the skin of embryos, where it works on promoting the growth of hair follicles. However, over the years, the follicles witness many cycles of recuperation, rest and re-growth, during which the access of WTN to skin cells may be hindered.
In the experiment conducted on rats, the researchers identified the natural inhibitor of WNT, a protein called DKK2, which plays an important role in inhibiting hair growth. When they removed the inhibitor from a hairless area, they found that the hair actually grew in it.
Sarah E. Millar, a professor in dermatology and a co-senior author of the study, told the "Health Line" website: "WNT signaling is critical for the development of hair follicles."
The American Academy of Dermatology reports that more than 80 million people in the United States have androgenetic alopecia, the problem that Millar and her team hope their research will solve.
"Our research is still at a very early stage. We still need to do a lot of work before we could think about testing potential new therapies in human patients," she noted.
For his part, Dr. Khaled al-Sayed, dermatology consultant at the Egyptian health ministry hoped the new findings will lead to positive results.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the surgeries currently available to treat baldness are so expensive, and providing an effective medical treatment will be important, because it will be less expensive."
