Pathomechanism of Androgenetic Alopecia and New Treatment
November 2004
in “
Japanese journal of geriatrics
”
TLDR Male hormones can cause hair loss, but treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride can help, and targeting TGF-B1 could be a future solution.
The 2004 study "Pathomechanism of androgenetic alopecia and new treatment" investigated the role of the male hormone, androgen, in hair loss. The study found that dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in the beard and frontal scalp, which are targeted by androgen, express androgen receptor and type II 5α-reductase mRNA. These DPCs were found to produce androgen-dependent growth factors, including Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). However, androgen was also found to inhibit the growth of keratinocytes co-cultured with DPCs from the human balding frontal scalp. The study also mentioned the use of Minoxidil and Finasteride, which were new treatments in Japan at the time, and suggested that TGF-B1 could be a target for future treatments.