Androgens are an important regulator of human hair growth. Human hair follicles in various sites of the body have a variable individual, inherited susceptibility for androgen dependent growth. Androgens regulate the type of hair produced in human follicles, which can cause psychological distress in cases of excess large hairs, e.g. in hirsutism, male hair distribution in women, or reduced visible hairs, e.g. in androgenetic alopecia, male pattern baldness. These disorders are poorly controlled and cannot currently be effectively treated, mainly due to our lack of understanding of hair follicle function. The molecular mechanisms of the androgen action in human hair follicles are not well understood. Changes in hair follicle and hair size are believed to involve signalling between the hair follicle components via paracrine factors. It is believed that androgens exert their effects on hair follicles via the mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla cells by altering the regulatory paracrine factors produced by the dermal papilla itself and affect the other follicular components.Identifying key paracrine factors which may be involved in androgen regulated changes in the hair follicles could improve our understanding of the mechanism of androgen action in human hair follicles. Better understanding of this mechanism and the structure, functions of hair follicles should lead to better treatment for hair disorders such as hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia.
Androgens are the main regulators of human hair growth. Paradoxically, androgens can convert small vellus hair follicles to long terminal ones as seen during growth of beard and in hirsutism, however they also can stimulate the gradual transformation of large terminal scalp follicles to tiny vellus ones causing androgenetic alopecia in individuals with a genetic predisposition. Hair disorders are poorly controlled and may cause psychological distress and reduction in the quality of life. The molecular mechanisms of androgen action in human hair follicles are not fully understood. However it is believed that androgens exert their effects on hair follicles via the dermal papilla cells by altering the regulatory paracrine factors produced by the dermal papilla itself and affect the other follicular components. The study aimed to identify key paracrine factors which involved in androgenregulated alopecia. Balding and non-balding scalp hair follicles isolated and analyzed by molecular biological methods, DNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR. Comparing balding and non-balding follicles from the same individuals revealed the expected reduction in several keratin and keratin-related protein genes supporting this approach's validity. There were also significant differences in paracrine factors previously implicated in androgen action by in vitro studies. Several factors believed to increase during androgen stimulation of larger, darker follicles, e.g. IGF-I and SCF, and VEGV were lowered in balding follicles, while putative inhibitory factors, e.g. TGFß-1, IL-1β, IL-1α, and IL-6 were increased. These findings increase our understanding of androgen action in human hair follicles; this could lead to better treatments for hair disorders.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.