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- Title
Inhibitory autocrine factors produced by the mesenchyme-derived hair follicle dermal papilla may be a key to male pattern baldness.
- Authors
Hamada, K; Randall, V A
- Abstract
Androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, is a common, progressive disorder where large, terminal scalp hairs are gradually replaced by smaller hairs in precise patterns until only tiny vellus hairs remain. This balding can cause a marked reduction in the quality of life. Although these changes are driven by androgens, most molecular mechanisms are unknown, limiting available treatments. The mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla at the base of the mainly epithelial hair follicle controls the type of hair produced and is probably the site through which androgens act on follicle cells by altering the regulatory paracrine factors produced by dermal papilla cells. During changes in hair size the relationship between the hair and dermal papilla size remains constant, with alterations in both dermal papilla volume and cell number. This suggests that alterations within the dermal papilla itself play a key role in altering hair size in response to androgens. Cultured dermal papilla cells offer a useful model system to investigate this as they promote new hair growth in vivo, retain characteristics in vitro which reflect their parent follicle's response to androgens in vivo and secrete mitogenic factors for dermal papilla cells and keratinocytes.
- Publication
The British journal of dermatology, 2006, Vol 154, Issue 4, p609
- ISSN
0007-0963
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2133.2006.07144.x