Genetics and Hair Loss Video Transcript

Participants

Angela Christiano PhD, Animesh A. Sinha MD, PhD, David Folk Thomas

Summary

You've probably heard people say that hair loss is passed down to men through their mother's side, or to women from their father's side, or you've heard other such genetic theories about how hair loss is inherited. But how much real science is there behind these claims? With advances in genetic research, scientists have gained new tools with which to learn about the genetics of hair loss. What have they discovered so far and what are the possible benefits of this research for hair loss patients? Join our webcast as we discuss hair loss and genetics.

Webcast Transcript

DAVID FOLK THOMAS:  Welcome to our webcast.  I'm David Folk Thomas.  You've probably heard people say that hair loss is passed down to men through their mother's side or to women from their father's side and other such genetic theories about how hair loss is inherited.  But how much real science is there behind these claims?  Well, with advances in genetic research, scientists have gained new tools with which to learn about the genetics of loss.  What have they discovered so far and what are the possible benefits of this research to hair loss patients?

Here to talk about the state of hair loss genetics are two experts.  To my left is Dr. Angela Christiano.  She's an associate professor of dermatology and genetics at Columbia University, and  to Angela's left is Dr. Animesh Sinha, he's an assistant professor in the department of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Hospital. Thank you both for joining us.

Let me start with you, Angela.  Can you tell me some of the ways researchers are studying the relationship between genetics and hair loss?

ANGELA CHRISTIANO, PhD:  Sure.  I think the past few years have really been a renaissance in studying genetics and hair.  For a long time there really was no meaningful way to approach hair loss from the genetic standpoint, and in recent years several groups around the world have started taking a very simple -- what's called a "single gene" -- approach, looking at hair loss sort of one gene at a time, starting first with rare forms of hair loss in isolated families around the world using the techniques of genetics that we've mastered up to now.  The challenge going forward is to be able to look at more complex forms of genetic hair loss, like male pattern baldness, and this will involve looking at several genes at one time.  So we're just at the cusp now of trying to look at the more common forms of hair loss using the tools of genetics as they become available.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS:  Now, you say this is all fairly new.  In the past, wasn't it like you thought people went bald because it was genetics, so why is it just now becoming something that they can study genetically, if you will?

ANGELA CHRISTIANO, PhD:  The myth that hair loss is passed down from one side of the family or the other was actually started in 1916 by a female physician named Dorothy Osborne, who published a paper saying that pattern baldness was inherited in a certain way.  That myth has been propagated through the dermatologic literature all this time.  In fact, there is no single way to get hair loss from your parents.  We now understand that it is a complex trait, that there's a contribution most likely from both parents, so the genetics of it become more complicated as we understand more about it.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS:  And Ani, go ahead.

ANIMESH SINHA, MD, PhD:  What is clear is that baldness or male pattern baldness or angiogenic alopecia is genetically based.  What's unclear is the exact mode of inheritance.  Many models have been proposed, including sex chromosome linked, or it's one particular dominant gene, but what is falling out is that this is a complex trait or condition, and there are likely to be many genes involved, so it's a polygenic trait.  That makes it a very difficult trait or condition to study, but as Angela said, now we're starting to get better tools to address these more complex genetic conditions.