Hair loss affects around 85 per cent of men by the time they reach middle-age, and there’s not much anyone can do to stop it.
But now, scientists have uncovered an ancient biological mechanism that triggers a stress response in hair follicle cells, leading to restricted hair growth.
And, as a result, they say they could be one step closer for a treatment for hair loss.
The team, from the University of Manchester, unexpectedly discovered the link in a lab experiment where they were testing a drug to see if it boosted human scalp hair follicles in a dish.
Analysis revealed that when a mechanism called Integrated Stress Response (ISR) was over-activated, it had a negative impact on hair growth.
The team, from the University of Manchester, unexpectedly discovered the link in a lab experiment where they were testing a drug to see if it boosted human scalp hair follicles in a dish
This response is important as it allows cells to put a brake on regular activities when they are stressed, becoming partially dormant to adapt and deal with the strain.
A hair follicle cell may become stressed, for example, as it ages and becomes less able to properly produce protein.
If the ISR is overactivated, however, it can cause cells to die — putting a stop to healthy hair growth.
As a result, finding a way to stop the overactivation of the ISR may lead to a treatment to prevent hair loss, the team said.
The team are now looking to better understand the influence of ISR in hair follicles and study its activity in people with hair loss conditions.
Dr Talveen Purba, senior author of the study, said: ‘We’re incredibly hopeful as we believe the activation of this pathway could play an important biological role in restricting hair growth in people with hair loss conditions, meaning that targeting it could lead to new treatments.’
Derek Pye, chief technician of the research group and co-author of the study, added: ‘When we look at hair follicles under the microscope, it’s striking how consistent the response is between hair follicles from different people.’
While there are no current drugs known to influence the Integrated Stress Response, there are some under investigation in other contexts, Dr Purba said.
And while there are already some medications for hair loss, many people taking them experience side effects and the extent of hair regrowth — if any — can vary from person to person, he added.
The vast majority of men who lose their hair do so because of male pattern baldness, which is a hereditary condition.
Besides medication to encourage hair growth, some men opt for laser treatment to help invigorate circulation in the scalp and stimulate hair follicles, while some go to hair transplant surgery.
The findings were published in the journal Plos One.
