1 citations,
March 2004 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Certain genes are linked to the risk of developing Alopecia Areata.
717 citations,
June 2010 in “Nature” A genome-wide association study conducted on 1,054 cases and 3,278 controls identified several susceptibility loci for alopecia areata, suggesting the involvement of both innate and adaptive immunity in the disease. The study highlighted significant associations with genes related to regulatory T cells, CTLA4, IL-2/IL-21, IL-2RA, and the HLA region, as well as genes expressed in the hair follicle like PRDX5 and STX17. Notably, the ULBP gene cluster on chromosome 6q25.1, encoding ligands for the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D, was implicated for the first time in autoimmune disease, with ULBP3 expression upregulated in the hair follicle during active disease. This research provided insights into the genetic basis of alopecia areata and suggested a novel mechanism involving ULBP ligand upregulation in autoimmunity.
44 citations,
December 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Certain genetic markers, especially the MICA gene, are linked to alopecia areata.
87 citations,
May 2012 in “PLOS Genetics” Six new genetic regions linked to early hair loss also connect to Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer, possibly leading to new treatments.
19 citations,
July 2020 in “EBioMedicine” A gene variant increases the risk of a type of hair loss by affecting hair protein production.