This web page was produced as an assignment for Gen677 at UW-Madison Spring 2009
Can it be cured?
After studying and compiling information regarding male pattern baldness, I do not think that we will ever cure it. I'm not saying we won't be able to control it, or that we shouldn't try. The problem is that SRD5A2 is so important to the body and its natural functioning is what leads to hair loss. I think of it as being allergic to water. How would you cure that? There are however, tracks that may lead to less bald men in the future.
I think the focus needs to be on the interaction of DHT and the hair follicle itself. This has been shown to be the cause of follicular degeneration and would be a great way to stop hair loss. It would be very useful to know exactly which protein interacts with DHT, and then figure out how to stop it. A mouse would be good to isolate hair follicles from since they have so many. The proteins could then be separated using a 2D gel and challenged with DHT to estimate the interaction. This would be via a co-immunoprecipitation or affinity electrophoresis. Once the specific protein is isolated, a chemical screen could be used to determine possible antagonists. This would be a great approach becuase it would not affect the function of SRD5A2 and would be specific to the follicular DHT receptor. I would also be very interested in what makes this interaction with DHT different from others inside the body. By characterizing the protein and determing its properties, we could learn a lot about male pattern baldness.
Once hair is lost, the battle becomes much more serious. I really feel that hair cloning is the best way to improve ones fair count. By isolating the embryonic like dermal papillae, culturing, and injecting them back into the scalp, doctors can literally clone a head of hair. The main concern here is cancer, but if that could be controlled people could regrow hair.
In the end I have come to realize that balding is a fact of life. Much like aging, it will be something people will endure forever. We will continue to make advances in the prevention and/or cure of baldness, but in the end I really feel it is something we just need to live with. By knowing the ins and outs of what cuases it and why it is so hard to treat, I think we can further come to terms with androgenic alopecia.
