Cancer Gene Also Involved in Hair Loss
May 2, 2006 by Cory
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Here’s some interesting medical news from Forbes.com. Apperantly, a gene involved in the prevention of cancer is also plays a role in hair loss. From the article:
A gene whose main role is to help prevent cancer also plays a role in controlling hair growth, Italian researchers report.
Mouse that were bred to lack one of the two pairs of the gene, designated FHIT, developed alopecia areata — hair loss that can occur in many ways, most notably the male pattern baldness seen as men grow older.
The FHIT-deficient mice developed baldness at the same rate as normal mice given doses of benzo(a)pyrene, a chemical known to cause hair loss, the researchers said.
There’s no speculation as to what this link might mean, but it is interesting, no?
For other news on cancer and genetics, check out these other b5media blogs: Cancer Commentary and Genetics & Health.
Comments
2 Responses to “Cancer Gene Also Involved in Hair Loss”Trackbacks
Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] This week’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (a top-tier journal scientists want to get published in) reported that a tumor suppressor gene called FHIT is also involved in hairloss characteristic of male-pattern baldness. Forbes covered the story here and Cory mentions it at Baldiness here. [...]
[...] So, Cory aka Bald Man (from whom this tip came), is gene therapy the hope of all bald men everywhere? [...]