Posted on 05/26/2009 11:09:46 AM PDT by Schnucki
* Study finds hair loss gene in mice * Gene shared by both mice and humans * Could lead to cure of baldness in humans
EXPERIMENTS on mice have revealed a gene that is linked to early hair loss, a Japanese researcher said today, sparking hopes for a treatment to prevent thinning and baldness in humans.
The research team found that the absence of a gene known as Sox21 -- which it said is shared by humans and mice -- can lead to early hair loss.
The scientists biologically engineered mice by blocking the gene and found that the rodents started losing hair on their heads about 15 days after birth and became completely naked a week later.
"Normally, new hair appears right after old hair falls out," said Yumiko Saga, a mammalian development professor at the National Institute of Genetics.
"But the hair of these mice fell out very early, making their bald periods longer," she said, adding that although the mice started to grow new fur, the replacement hair also kept falling out quickly.
The Sox21 gene has in the past been shown to be linked to the formation of nerve cells, but the Japanese study was the first to indicate its function in ensuring hair retention, she said by telephone.
"It is entirely possible that the gene is also a cause of thinning hair among humans", Saga said.
The study, jointly conducted with Hideyuki Okano, professor at the School of Medicine at Tokyo's Keio University, found that the lack of the gene leads to the improper formation of cuticles, the outer layer of hair.
"Cuticles usually have a scaled structure, locking hair in the scalp," said Saga. Blocking the gene in the mice meant that their cuticles lacked this structure, making the hair fall out more quickly,
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Hair Club for Mice has declined comment on this story.
imagine....with just a few billions in Federal funding, now we can end the scourge of bald mice forever...
ROFL!
Contains no fluorocarbons.
Both my grandfathers are bald so I really need these scientists to get on this. Chop chop.
"I found what might be the thing millions of men are looking for. But I have no plans to work on it."
That's nice, lady.
Is that you, Trump?
Yes.
The question is, have the cancer drug companies allowed the findings into the public yet?
Is it folk lore or true that baldness can be linked to your mother’s side of the family?
If that’s true, my husband is screwed. His pap was bald as a cue ball by 35...
Can’t we speed this stuff up a little? :)
I think the key to the importance of this finding, even if it translates well to human physical development, is: “a gene that is linked to early hair loss”, with emphasis on “early” hair loss, as opposed to the more prevalent hair loss that few human males avoid entirely as they age.
I take back all the bad things I’ve said about the Japanese. However if they did come up with cure for baldness, it would take our FDA about 30 years before they would approve it. By that time it will be too late for me.
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