Scientists Find Possible Genetic Roots of Type of Hair Loss  

Genetic Finding Could Lead to New Targets for Treatment of Alopecia Areata, Researchers Say (WebMD.com)

This is one of the first studies to locate genes potentially linked to alopecia areata. What is most striking about the genes identified is that they are already associated with a number of autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Now, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York suggest these genes could be targets for new alopecia areata treatments.

Genes Linked to Hair Loss

One gene in particular caught the eye of study author Angela M. Christiano, PhD, a professor of dermatology and genetics and development at Columbia, and her colleagues. Known as ULBP3, this gene is normally not present in hair follicles, but ULBP3 proteins were found in high concentrations in hair follicles affected by alopecia areata. ULBP3 attracts immune cells called cytotoxic cells. If an infection is present in the body, cytotoxic cells can help fight the infection or destroy damaged cells, but if there is no infection or damage, these immune cells end up attacking healthy tissue.

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