Hormones and Hair Growth: Variations in Androgen Receptor Content of Dermal Papilla Cells Cultured from Human and Red Deer Hair Follicles
TLDR Human hair growth is influenced by androgen hormones, and red deer mane follicles have similar hormone receptors.
The document from July 1, 1993, investigated the role of androgens in hair growth by examining androgen receptor content in dermal papilla cells from human and red deer hair follicles. It was found that all human papilla cells had specific androgen receptors, with higher levels in cells from androgen-dependent follicles, such as beard hair, compared to non-balding scalp cells. In red deer, androgen receptors were only detected in cells from mane follicles and not in cells from flank or spring neck follicles. These findings support the hypothesis that androgens influence hair follicles through the dermal papilla and suggest that dermal papilla cells could be useful models for studying androgen action on hair growth. The study highlighted the red deer as a particularly interesting subject due to its shorter hair-growth cycle compared to human hair follicles.
