Protein identified that could one day help to treat alopecia
Experimental study: At least one thing in the experiment was changed to see if it had an impact on the subjects (often people or animals) – eg: changing the amount of time mice spend on an exercise wheel to find out what impact it has on weight loss.
Cells: This is a study based on research in micro-organisms, cells, tissue, organs or non-human embryos.
New research co-led by WEHI and Duke-NUS Medical School has uncovered an essential role for the protein MCL-1 in tissue regeneration, which could offer insights that help develop new treatments for hair loss and alopecia. Around 70-90% of our scalp hairs stay in the growth phase – but certain conditions can disrupt this, leading to hair loss. MCL-1, a protein that plays an important role in preventing programmed cell death (apoptosis), is also essential for adult hair regeneration. Understanding the molecular regulation that controls hair follicle growth could lead to the development of novel strategies for treating alopecia as well as hair loss prevention.
Journal/conference: Nature Communications
Research: Paper
Organisation/s: WEHI, The University of Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Duke-NUS Medical School
