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The thinning top: why old people have less hair

Sashank K Reddy1, Luis A Garza2

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Plastic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|July 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Age-related hair loss stems from an imbalance in hair follicle stem cell signals. Follistatin, a protein, shows potential to restore the balance and promote hair renewal.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Age-related alopecia, or hair loss, is a common condition linked to changes in the hair cycle.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms driving the regenerative decline of hair follicles with age are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular basis of age-related hair cycle decline.
  • To identify key signaling pathways and molecules involved in hair follicle regeneration.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of signaling pathways regulating hair follicle stem cells.
  • Identification of secreted proteins influencing stem cell activity.

Main Results:

  • An imbalance between stem cell-activating and -inhibitory signals is identified as a critical factor in age-related hair loss.
  • Follistatin is identified as a secreted protein capable of modulating this balance.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a critical imbalance in signaling pathways as the cause of age-related hair follicle regenerative decline.
  • Follistatin emerges as a potential therapeutic target for promoting hair renewal and combating alopecia.

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