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Who'd have thunked!!!

Male Pattern Baldness: New Root Cause Found?

Researchers are zeroing in on a new potential cause of male pattern baldness, and their discovery may pave the way toward more effective and targeted treatments.

Male pattern baldness affects 80% of men younger than age 70. It occurs when hair follicles shrink, and grow tiny hairs that are only viable for short periods of time.

According to the study, bald men tend to have an abnormal amount of a protein called prostaglandin D2 on their scalps. This protein and its derivatives block hair growth.

Drugs that inhibit the action of prostaglandin D2 should delay male pattern baldness. “This should work in all men who have male pattern baldness,” Cotsarelis says. The new findings are likely to apply to women, too.

Some companies are already developing such compounds, in one case for asthma. “It shouldn’t take too long,” he says.

http://men.webmd.com/news/20120321/m...ness-the-cause