A study published in the journal Nature reports that researchers at Columbia University have identified a new gene involved in hair growth. This will help to better understand male pattern baldness and aid in the development of more effective treatments.
The gene APCDD1 is at the origin of hereditary hypotrichosis simplex, a rare form of hair loss. The condition makes hair grow in finer and finer like "peach fuzz". This is often observed in cases of male pattern baldness.
Angela M. Christiano, Ph.D., is a professor of dermatology and genetics & development at Columbia University Medical Center and lead author of the study. She says, "The identification of this gene underlying hereditary hypotrichosis simplex has afforded us an opportunity to gain insight into the process of hair follicle miniaturization, which is most commonly observed in male pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia."
She goes on to say, "It is important to note that while these two conditions share the same physiologic process, the gene we discovered for hereditary hypotrichosis does not explain the complex process of male pattern baldness."
Researchers analyzed genetic data from Italian and Pakistani families suffering from hypotrichosis simplex. They found a mutation on chromosome 18 which has been previously observed in other studies on hair loss.
APCDD1 blocks a signalling pathway that controls hair growth.