Genetic hair loss in men follows a pattern of a receding hairline, a total loss of hair from the crown, and ultimately, the classical horseshoe-shaped pattern of baldness. Previous research into male pattern hair loss, also termed androgenetic alopecia, has implicated multiple common genetic variants.
Human geneticists from the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) and by the Transdisciplinary Research Unit “Life & Health” of the University of Bonn have now performed a systematic investigation of the extent to which rare genetic variants may also contribute to this disorder. They analyzed the genetic sequences of 72,469 male participants from the UK Biobank project. The analyses identified five significantly associated genes, and further corroborated genes implicated in previous research. The results have now been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Using modern bioinformatic and statistical methods, they found associations between male-pattern hair loss and rare genetic variants in the following five genes: EDA2R, WNT10A, HEPH, CEPT1, and EIF3F.
EDA2R and WNT10A genes were already considered genes associated with genetic hair loss in men, as based on previous analyses of common variants. The additional 3 new gene associations is a new development.
The researchers hope that the puzzle pieces they have discovered will improve understanding of the causes of hair loss, and thus facilitate reliable risk prediction and improved treatment strategies.