The AR/miR-221/IGF-1 Pathway Mediates the Pathogenesis of Androgenetic Alopecia

The research paper "The AR/miR-221/IGF-1 pathway mediates the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia" studied the role of miR-221 in androgenetic alopecia (AGA), a common hair loss condition. The study found that miR-221 suppresses hair growth and the proliferation of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and dermal sheath cells (DSCs), which are essential for hair growth. The androgen receptor (AR) promotes the transcription of miR-221, which then suppresses IGF-1 expression, leading to the inactivation of the MAPK pathway in DPCs and the PI3K/AKT pathway in DSCs. In AGA patients, miR-221 expression was positively correlated with AR expression and negatively correlated with IGF-1 expression. The study suggests that miR-221, as a direct target of AR, plays a crucial role in AGA, making it a potential therapeutic target. The study involved 31 hair follicle samples from 23 male AGA patients and 5 healthy male controls.