The discovery of CELL could lead to a cure for baldness, scientists say.
Research from the University of Manchester has found that a biological response to stress can cause hair follicles to shut down and die, robbing people of their hair.
The “integrated stress response” slows non-essential bodily functions, such as hair growth during an infection or when the body is not receiving the right nutrients.
A laboratory study of follicles found that the process can go wrong and kill scalp cells for good.
Experts believe that interrupting the response with a medication can stop baldness.
Study author Dr Talveen Purba said: “This stress response may be implicated in a number of hair loss disorders, including pattern hair loss.
“We are incredibly hopeful that targeting could lead to new treatments.
“A complete reversal is unlikely and you probably wouldn’t have much luck trying to regrow hair in people who have lost it completely.
“But if you catch it while they are actively losing it, you can stop the process.
“Our key next steps we must confirm that this is happening in people and then find out if we can control it.”
Millions of Brits experience hair loss and baldness affects around 85% of men by the age of 50 and half of women by the age of 70.
Many more lose their hair due to chemotherapy or illnesses such as lupus or psoriasis.
The Manchester Hair Research Group made the discovery by accident while studying the effect of a drug on hair follicles.
When the follicles failed to germinate, the team realized that the stress response had been triggered and stopped the growth process.
Head technician Derek Pye said: “It’s amazing how consistent the response was between different people’s hair follicles.”
Writing in the journal Plos One, the team said the discovery could help treat people who lose hair due to chemotherapy or cicatricial alopecia.
What is alopecia and what causes it?
Around two percent of the population will suffer from alopecia at some point in their lives, with around one in 4,000 people developing the condition every year.
It can begin at any age, but is most common in early adulthood and can lead to loss of all hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows, nasal hair, and public hair.
Alopecia areata causes bald spots the size of a large coin.
“Alopecia” is the medical term for hair loss and “areata” means it occurs in small, random areas. There are several classifications, including:
- Alopecia areata totalis: total loss of hair on the scalp
- Alopecia areata universalis: total hair loss on the scalp and all body hair
The causes of alopecia areata are not fully understood, but hair loss occurs due to inflammation around hair follicles.
The cause of the inflammation is unknown, but it is believed that the immune system, which normally protects the body against infections and other diseases, fails and attacks the hair follicles.
Therefore, it is understood to be an autoimmune condition, says Alopecia UK.
Genetics may be behind the disease, but it is thought that other things can trigger it, including a virus, iron deficiency or stress. The studies are not conclusive.
For women, sometimes childbirth can trigger postpartum alopecia.
In most cases of alopecia areata, hair grows back within a few months to a year. At first, the hair may grow back thin and white, but over time it should thicken and regain its normal color.
There is no cure for the disease, only treatments that are not guaranteed to work.
People with alopecia may need to take extra precautions, including protecting their skin and eyes when outdoors and preventing stress.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
