Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

January 2011 in “ Journal of Clinical Investigation ”

Luis A. Garza, Chao Yang, Tailun Zhao, Hanz Blatt, Michelle Lee, Helen He, David W. G. Stanton, Lee Carrasco, Jeffrey H. Spiegel, John W. Tobias, George Cotsarelis

androgenetic alopecia hair follicle stem cells CD200-rich cells CD34-positive cells progenitor cells hair growth cellular changes hair follicles AGA stem cells

TLDR Men with baldness due to androgenetic alopecia still have hair stem cells, but lack specific cells needed for hair growth.

The study found that men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) still have hair follicle stem cells in their bald scalps, but they lack certain progenitor cells necessary for hair growth. This suggests that the loss of hair in AGA is not due to a complete absence of stem cells, but rather a decrease in the progenitor cells. The study also found similar populations of these cells in mice, which were able to regenerate hair follicles. These findings provide insights into the cellular changes associated with hair loss in AGA.

View this study on jci.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

7 / 7 results

research Hedgehog Signaling Maintains Hair Follicle Stem Cell Phenotype in Young and Aged Human Skin

62 citations, November 2009 in “Aging Cell”

Hedgehog signaling helps keep hair follicle stem cells the same in both young and old human skin.

research Lgr5 Marks Cycling, Yet Long-Lived, Hair Follicle Stem Cells

835 citations, October 2008 in “Nature Genetics”

Lgr5 is a marker for active, long-lasting stem cells in mouse hair follicles.

research Characterization and Isolation of Stem Cell-Enriched Human Hair Follicle Bulge Cells

550 citations, December 2005 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation”

Researchers successfully isolated and identified key markers of stem cell-enriched human hair follicle bulge cells.

research Organogenesis From Dissociated Cells: Generation of Mature Cycling Hair Follicles From Skin-Derived Cells

205 citations, April 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Scientists have found a way to create hair follicles from skin cells of newborn mice, which can grow and cycle naturally when injected into adult mouse skin.

research Towards a Molecular Understanding of Hair Loss and Its Treatment

236 citations, July 2001 in “Trends in Molecular Medicine”

Future hair loss treatments should aim to extend hair growth, reactivate resting follicles, reverse shrinkage, and possibly create new follicles, with gene therapy showing promise.

research Treatment of Hair Loss

370 citations, September 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

Finasteride and minoxidil are effective for hair loss, but continued research is needed for better treatments.

research The Biology of Hair Follicles

1113 citations, August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

Hair follicle biology advancements may lead to better hair growth disorder treatments.

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 1000+ results

community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

in Research 692 upvotes 4 months ago

Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

community New and Interesting HairLoss Studies/Papers/Reviews

in Treatment 42 upvotes 4 years ago

Hair loss treatments discussed include Dutasteride with Ketoconazole, tissue engineering strategies, and androgenetic alopecia therapies. Massage doubles follicular retention, improving treatment effectiveness.

community PP405: The Ultimate Hair Loss Drug for Complete Hair Growth

in Research/Science 206 upvotes 4 days ago

PP405 is a new hair loss treatment in phase 2 trials that may promote hair growth by increasing lactate production and activating hair follicle stem cells. It could potentially replace hormone-disrupting treatments like Minoxidil and finasteride.

community The Real Cause Of Androgenetic Alopecia

in Research/Science 668 upvotes 2 months ago

Androgenetic alopecia is caused by DHT affecting hair growth. Finasteride and minoxidil are used to manage hair loss by blocking DHT and promoting hair growth.

community COMPLETE OVERVIEW of the Treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men

26 upvotes 10 years ago

Male androgenetic alopecia is commonly treated with topical minoxidil and oral finasteride, both requiring continuous use. Other options include hair restoration surgery, dutasteride, light therapy, and camouflaging agents.

Physio-metabolic method of treating androgenic alopecia. Cold receptors. The relationship between DHT, cold receptors, minoxidil and antiandrogens

community Physio-metabolic method of treating androgenic alopecia. Cold receptors. The relationship between DHT, cold receptors, minoxidil and antiandrogens

in Research 413 upvotes 2 weeks ago

Treating androgenic alopecia with minoxidil, finasteride, and antiandrogens, alongside exercise, cryotherapy, and natural substances to stimulate cold receptors for better hair growth. The method focuses on enhancing treatment effectiveness by considering environmental and behavioral factors and the role of cold receptors and muscle stress.

Related Research

7 / 7 results

research Scalp Threading – New Treatment Option for Androgenetic Alopecia

June 2022 in “South Florida Journal of Health”

Scalp Threading is a promising new treatment for hair loss that may work better than current options.

research Hair Loss (Alopecia or Baldness)

June 2018

Baldness is often hereditary and linked to male hormones, becoming noticeable when half the hair is lost.

research Optical Coherence Tomography as a Minimally Invasive Androgenic Alopecia Diagnostic Platform

March 2018

OCT can effectively diagnose different stages of hair loss non-invasively.

research Hair Loss in Women: Medical and Cosmetic Approaches to Increase Scalp Hair Fullness

75 citations, December 2011 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Female pattern hair loss can be treated with medications, surgery, and cosmetic products, considering its psychological impact.

research Male Androgenetic Alopecia Is Due to Hair Follicle Stem Cell Inactivation

3 citations, April 2011 in “Expert Review of Dermatology”

Male hair loss is caused by inactive hair follicle stem cells.

Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

research Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

235 citations, January 2011 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

Men with baldness due to androgenetic alopecia still have hair stem cells, but lack specific cells needed for hair growth.

research Male Pattern Baldness: An Update

January 2009 in “Revista de Ciências Médicas”

Male pattern baldness is a genetic condition causing hair loss, with limited but improving treatment options.