Pennsylvania Team Develops Baldness Treatments Targeting Hair Follicles
Patients suffering from MPB are found to develop a genetic sensitivity to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT begin to miniaturize, shortening the lifespan of each hair follicle affected. Eventually these follicles stop producing the healthy hair.
Current treatments for hair transplant include hair transplants and two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration -- minoxidil and finasteride. However, prescription drugs for baldness are not a viable solution to hair loss as they cause serious side effects.
A new baldness treatment is being developed by George Cotsarelis, a professor and head of dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, and his team. They have identified a molecule that inhibits hair growth in the follicle. The research team also identified a receptor on the cell where the deed is done, making it a target for possible future therapies for male pattern baldness.
Researchers are also planning to develop treatments focusing on this specific receptor. These receptors are already targets for other diseases, and the drugs developed for these treatments could also find use in male pattern baldness, according to Luis Garza, lead author of the paper announcing the discovery, which appeared in Science Translational Medicine.
Clinical trials are underway for about 10 such drugs formulated to treat allergic diseases.
These drugs, however, aren't likely to help men who are already bald, but it could be significant for men who are in the early stages of balding. It could slow the hairs from getting fine and thin. The miniaturized hairs of balding men remain on the scalp for a few days to a few weeks. In contrast, normal scalp hairs typically remain for at least three years. Recently Dr. Alan J. Bauman, a hair restoration expert, explained a number of ways to prevent hair loss. According to Dr. Bauman, how early a person spots thinning hair determines how much hair they save. If you wait until the hair loss is visible to the naked eye, you would have lost 50 percent of hair in that area.
Further he said, if any of your parents or close relatives suffers from baldness, it is advised that you start the treatment in your early twenties. Bauman also stressed the importance of preventive care treatments. Advancements in hair loss treatments have given rise to several such treatments including low level lasers, FDA approved medications and nutritional supplements. The preventive care treatment also focuses on understanding the hair loss process, including the importance of meeting with a board-certified hair restoration physician.
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