Gene Therapy for Alopecia in Type II Rickets Model Rats Using Vitamin D Receptor-Expressing Adenovirus Vector

October 2023 in “ Scientific Reports ”

Satoko Kise, Ayano Iijima, Chika Nagao, Tadashi Okada, Miyu Nishikawa, Shinichi Ikushiro, Teruyuki Nakanishi, Shigeto Sato, Kaori Yasuda, Toshiyuki Sakaki

gene therapy alopecia vitamin D receptor adenovirus vector VDR gene Vdr-KO rats vitamin D-dependent type II rickets hair growth hair loss cyst formation inflammation

Studysummary In this study, gene therapy using a VDR-expressing adenoviral vector promoted hair growth in Vdr-KO rats, suggesting its potential for treating alopecia associated with type II rickets. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study investigated gene therapy as a potential treatment for alopecia in rats with vitamin D-dependent type II rickets (VDDRII). The researchers used an adenoviral vector to deliver the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene to the cells of Vdr-KO rats, a model for VDDRII. The study involved 12 rats: 4 non-infected Vdr-KO rats, 2 Vdr-KO rats infected with control-AdV, and 6 Vdr-KO rats infected with VDR-AdV. The VDR-AdV-infected rats showed significant hair growth, reduced hair loss, and low cyst formation. The effect of VDR-AdV lasted for nearly 60 days without causing severe inflammation. The study concluded that gene therapy with AdV could be useful for alopecia caused by VDR deficiency.

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