MicroRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Male Pattern Baldness
September 2016
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
microRNAs male pattern baldness hair follicles frontal scalp occipital scalp differentially expressed miRNAs WNT signaling anagen initiation mTOR adipogenesis signaling cell proliferation apoptosis ephrin signaling androgen signaling androgen-dependent changes hair follicle cycling miRNAs MPB HFs F scalp O scalp differential miRNA expression WNT adipogenesis cell growth cell death ephrin androgen
TLDR Different levels of microRNAs in different parts of the scalp can cause male pattern baldness.
The 2016 study "202 MicroRNAs in the pathogenesis of male pattern baldness" investigated the role of micro(mi)RNAs in male pattern baldness (MPB). The study involved 25 healthy male donors and focused on hair follicles (HFs) from the frontal (F) and occipital (O) scalp. The researchers found 42 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs (P<0.05) between the F and O HFs. These miRNAs targeted a total of 1,348 genes, with 5 miRNAs up-regulated (N=495) and 37 down-regulated (N=636) in the frontal area. The pathway-based analysis suggested that differential miRNA expression led to the down-regulation of pathways controlling WNT signaling and anagen initiation (mTOR, adipogenesis signaling) in the frontal area, and up-regulation of pathways inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis (ephrin-, androgen signaling). The study concluded that differential miRNA expression in HFs from the F and O scalp and the altered regulation of their target genes and pathways could promote the characteristic androgen-dependent changes in hair follicle cycling and cell proliferation in MPB.
