Insights Into Male Androgenetic Alopecia Using Comparative Transcriptome Profiling: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 and Wnt/Beta-Catenin Signalling Pathways

July 2022 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”

Qing-Mei Liu, Yulong Tang, Yan Huang, Jing Wang, Kai Yang, Yuting Zhang, Weilin Pu, Jing Liu, Xiangguang Shi, Yanyun Ma, Chunya Ni, Yue Zhang, Yifei Zhu, Haiyang Li, Jing Wang, Jun Lin, Wenyu Wu

androgenetic alopecia hypoxia-inducible factor-1 Wnt/β-catenin signaling EGLN1 EGLN3 SERPINF1 SFRP2 dermal papilla cells AGA HIF-1 Wnt signaling

Studysummary In this study, researchers identified key transcriptome changes in male androgenetic alopecia hair follicles, suggesting that HIF-1 pathway genes and Wnt pathway inhibitors could be potential therapeutic targets.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

This study analyzed gene expression differences in hair follicles from 10 male patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), identifying 506 mRNAs, 55 microRNAs, and 127 long noncoding RNAs differentially expressed in balding areas. Key pathways involved are the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways. Downregulation of HIF-1 pathway genes (EGLN1, EGLN3) and Wnt pathway inhibitors (SERPINF1, SFRP2) was found to stimulate dermal papilla cell proliferation and hair growth, suggesting these genes as potential therapeutic targets for AGA. The study underscores the need for further research with larger sample sizes to confirm these findings.

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