Genetic Programming?

[wookster]

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.ns ... 700055615D

Ultraviolet Light Linked to Androgenic Alopecia


They found that the scalp dermis was significantly thicker in the men with androgenic alopecia than in the subjects without alopecia. This difference was due to a more severe elastosis in baldness. The researchers found that the earliest signs of elastosis due to sun exposure preceded hair thinning. A negative exponential correlation was found between hair diameter and severity of solar elastosis (when elastosis was thicker than 0.2 mm).

If a person lives long enough, various degrees of hairloss are inevitable. Environment appears to be a large factor in the male pattern baldness equation. If hair was merely "genetically programmed" to fall out, then why is there elastosis and inflammation associated with male pattern baldness?

If different follicles exist on the top of a scalp, some with androgen receptors and others without androgen receptors then why does the entire "top of scalp" eventually go completely bald?

 

[Aplunk1]

What about transplanted hair? It never comes out-- the hair on the sides of the head doesn't really suffer from hairloss.

 

[Bryan]

If different follicles exist on the top of a scalp, some with androgen receptors and others without androgen receptors then why does the entire "top of scalp" eventually go completely bald?

All human scalp hair follicles contain androgen receptors.

Bryan

 

[wookster]

If different follicles exist on the top of a scalp, some with androgen receptors and others without androgen receptors then why does the entire "top of scalp" eventually go completely bald?

All human scalp hair follicles contain androgen receptors.

Bryan

Thanks for the helpful clue

http://www.morphollica.com/research/mal ... opecia.pdf

Hair follicle sensitivity is genetically determined and shows regional specificity. Androgen stimulation of scalp dermal papilla cells induces transforming growth factor beta (TGF-B) and results in cyclical miniaturization of the entire hair follicle.

[...]

In contrast androgen stimulation of beard dermal
papilla cells produces insulin growth factor -2 (IGF-2) and results in cyclical enlargement of the entire hair follicle.


[...]

...occipital hairs maintain their resistance to androgenetic alopecia when transplanted to the vertex, and scalp hairs from the vertex transplanted to the forearm miniaturise at the same pace as hairs neighbouring the donor site...

My worst fears are confirmed. The balding process appears to be a relic of primate evolution.

 

[wookster]

Interesting...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 074038.htm

The researchers studied normal cells lines whose growth was inhibited by TGF-b -- the process was working properly -- as well as cell lines whose growth was stimulated by TGF-b.

TGF-b uses multiple signaling pathways to get its instructions to the cell's nucleus -- at least four pathways that are known, and there are probably more, Bhowmick said.

In the inhibited cells, the researchers removed particular protein components in one of these known TGF-b signaling pathways called Rho-ROCK. The cells were no longer inhibited and instead began growing again.

 

[chewbaca]

think the future of medical cures lies in this holy grail of cell manipulation.

 

[chewbaca]

Bryan i like to point out that almost every medical disorder has some form of genetic suspecility

 

[Bryan]

Bryan i like to point out that almost every medical disorder has some form of genetic suspecility

Sure.

 

[wookster]

Apparently, the hair follicles become more sensitive to DHT with age, even though the levels of androgens in a given person are actually decreasing, after age 25 or so.

If the balding process is a relic of primate evolution, then EVERYONE has inherited the male pattern baldness genes. Some people are lucky enough to inherit other genes though, that appear to interfere and block the male pattern baldness process.

Environmental changes can increase, or decrease the rates of balding in a given population. For example, dietary saturated fat & trans-fat intake along with other factors like SLS? from shampoo and soap appear to let the male pattern baldness gene be fully activated in places like Japan and other previously non-western cultures.

More speculation on my part :hairy:

 

[Axon]

There is some strong correlation between a certain diet and its effect on male pattern baldness in a given group, yes.

Of course, correlation does not equal causality.