What would happen if you removed 5-alpha-reductase from your body?
- Thread starter Ryukil
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That would require genetic engineering at the embryonic stage so it's not really a possibility. I suppose simply more testosterone and less dht!
Would it require genetic engineering at the embryonic stage? I'm not really a biologist so I don't know. But I think that DHT is vitally important to making you a male while you're developing in the womb, so that would be a bad idea. I was just talking to someone with 5-alpha-reductase deficiency, and she is "intersex" born with ambiguous genitalia but she identifies as a woman.
What if you remove the ability of the embryo to create 5-alpha-reductase but then synthesize DHT? Like create artificial DHT? Then the body would be born without the ability to produce DHT but still be a male and the artificial DHT could still be administered as needed if needed for further development.
But it seems like it would be a lot easier to just remove the gene for male pattern baldness while the embryo is developing. Have they identified a single gene that causes male pattern baldness?
I have no doubt that there is a cure for male pattern baldness out there, beyond genetic engineering. We could all grow our hair back somehow, and I'm sure we'll find it someday. Maybe it will involve stem cells, or maybe it will involve attacking the problem at its source, DHT. We shall see.
And as you all can see I'm losing my mind.
What if you remove the ability of the embryo to create 5-alpha-reductase but then synthesize DHT? Like create artificial DHT? Then the body would be born without the ability to produce DHT but still be a male and the artificial DHT could still be administered as needed if needed for further development.
But it seems like it would be a lot easier to just remove the gene for male pattern baldness while the embryo is developing. Have they identified a single gene that causes male pattern baldness?
I have no doubt that there is a cure for male pattern baldness out there, beyond genetic engineering. We could all grow our hair back somehow, and I'm sure we'll find it someday. Maybe it will involve stem cells, or maybe it will involve attacking the problem at its source, DHT. We shall see.
And as you all can see I'm losing my mind.
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I studied biology at college, but I'm no expert on this subject. Genetic engineering ALWAYS has to be done at the embryonic single celled stage. Once the cells have divided it simply becomes impossible to alter the gene in every cell responsible for expressing that gene and producing 5 alpha reductase. Again, I'm not sure what role DHT plays in male develpment, the kid would still have testosterone, maybe that would be enough for normal development?
I'm pretty certain that multiple genes are responsible for male pattern baldness, possible at different loci, but the human genome has already been mapped, it should be a realistic challenge, but still, identifying the responsible genes across 46 chromosomes, each with tens of thousands (or millions?) of genes would be no small task!
I'm pretty certain that multiple genes are responsible for male pattern baldness, possible at different loci, but the human genome has already been mapped, it should be a realistic challenge, but still, identifying the responsible genes across 46 chromosomes, each with tens of thousands (or millions?) of genes would be no small task!