Could super furry animals provide clues for baldness?
Scientists looking at mice may have discovered why certain people are hairier than others in what could provide clues as to the reason some men go bald prematurely. The University of Manchester team has laid bare the molecular processes that determine which embryonic skin cells will form into hair follicles and determine the body’s hair pattern. The findings will be of interest to scientists looking at male-pattern baldness but have more direct implications for people who suffer from ectodermal dysplasia – a range of conditions where skin cells fail to develop into other tissue, including hair follicles. “During human development, skin cells have the ability to turn into other types of cells to form hair follicles, sweat glands, teeth and nails,” said Dr Denis Headon, who led the research. “Which cells are transformed into hair follicles is determined by three proteins that are produced by our genes. “Our research has identified how one of these proteins working outside of the cell int
