Hair loss linked to contraceptive pill as MIT, Harvard and Manchester study growth solutions

16 Jul 2024 --- The latest research on hair loss is revealing new insights and potential treatments. A UK study links taking the oral contraceptive pill to a type of hair loss called frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA). Meanwhile, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard are exploring the use of microneedle patches to promote hair growth, and a team at the University of Manchester is investigating how stress restricts healthy hair growth.

FFA is a skin disorder characterized by inflammation, scarring and irreversible hair loss, predominantly affecting women.

The study, published in JAMA Dermatology, was funded by the British Skin Foundation through the Young Investigator Award and affiliated with King’s College London, UK.

The research finds that women with a specific version of the CYP1B1 gene who also took oral contraceptives were more likely to develop FFA. This supports the hypothesis that FFA results from genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, such as hormone metabolism influenced by oral contraceptives.

“Our study is the first-ever gene-environment interaction study into FFA, a lichenoid inflammatory and scarring condition affecting almost exclusively women,” says Dr. Christos Tziotzios, a consultant dermatologist and senior lecturer at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, King’s College London.

“We have previously identified causal variation in a hormone-metabolism-related gene, conferring susceptibility to this increasingly common and highly distressing disease. We have now demonstrated the contribution of the oral contraceptive to disease manifestation via gene-environment interaction.”

The researchers hope their findings will lead to the development of genetic tests to minimize the risk of FFA. They are currently working on making such tests more widely available.

Alopecia causes people to loose hair in small to large amounts.Microneedling for hair
In other hair loss-related research, a study investigating solutions to hair loss uncovers a new method that could “revolutionize” the treatment of alopecia areata and other similar conditions.

A team of scientists at MIT and Harvard has published a study in Advanced Materials demonstrating the potential of microneedle patches to restore hair growth by delivering immune-modulating substances directly to the skin.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system targets hair follicles, leading to hair loss. It can affect people of all ages, genders and ethnicities. The condition often results in patchy bald spots on the scalp and other body parts. Traditional treatments for alopecia areata, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, can be effective but often come with side effects, including increased risk of infections.

In people with alopecia areata, a deficiency of regulatory T cells — called Tregs — in the affected skin areas contributes to the disease.

The MIT and Harvard researchers developed a solution involving microneedle patches to deliver immune-modulating substances directly to the skin. These tiny needles are made from a “special gel” that dissolves once inserted into the skin, releasing CCL22 (a chemical that attracts Tregs to the area) and IL-2 (a protein that supports the survival and multiplication of Tregs).

Microneedles penetrate the skin and deliver CCL22 and IL-2 directly to the hair follicles, promoting the local expansion of Tregs. This targeted approach helps restore the immune balance in the skin without suppressing the entire immune system.

Stress stopping growth
Other hair loss research from the University of Manchester reveals that one-way cells respond to stressful conditions is by restricting healthy hair growth.Manchester University accidentally found cells restricting hair growth when under stress.

The Manchester Hair Research Group team “unexpectedly” discovered the link in a lab experiment. They tested a drug to see if it cultivates human scalp hair follicles in a dish.

The study inadvertently led to a link to the cellular stress response — an ancient biological mechanism that occurs across life, from yeast and roundworms to humans. The team hopes that by targeting the pathway, treatments for hair loss can be found.

The Integrated Stress Response (ISR) is triggered by stressful cellular conditions such as poor nutrient availability, viral infection or a build-up of misshaped proteins in cells.

The ISR allows cells to halt regular activities by making fewer new proteins and entering a partial stasis to cope with stress. However, if it doesn’t work, it can cause cells to die.

By Sabine Waldeck

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