A team of British scientists from the University of Edinburgh has published a study in the Public Library Science journal PLOS Genetics, suggesting that there are 287 genetic signals responsible for hair loss or baldness in men. Interestingly enough, 40 of these genes are inherited from one's mother.
There is actually very little anyone can do about balding and almost all men dislike the idea of going bald. No one likes to be described with his shiny pate or be reminding of one's receding hairline. The researchers have been able to categorize that men have slight hair loss, moderate hair loss, and severe hair loss while some do not suffer the fate of hair loss in any way at all.
At the moment, this is no assurance for curing baldness in men
While it is lifting that scientists were able to identify the genes responsible for baldness or hair loss in men, WebMD wrote. The principal author of the study Dr. Ricardo Marioni of the university's Center for Genomic and Experimental Medicine said the study has not proven the cure for hair loss, but paved the way for understanding the "genetic causes of hair loss" with researchers now "one step closer" to finding a cure.
The researchers analyzed the DNA data of 52,000 men who participated in BioBank, a massive British genetic experiment, to carry out the study. About 16,700 of the men do not have any issues with baldness, while 12,000 of the men have slight hair loss and 14,000 others have moderate hair loss, with 9,800 victims of severe hair loss, NBC News explained.
Many genes responsible for baldness are inherited from mothers
While it is possible to regard one's father and predict the chances of having hair loss later in life, the researchers were surprised to find that 40 of the identified 287 genes linked to baldness were produced by one's mother - the X chromosome. So men shouldn't always blame their fathers for hair loss, their mothers are also part of the problem. According to Saskia Hagenaars, a student researcher in the team, "it was interesting to find that many of the genetic signals for male pattern baldness came from the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers." This is largely because a man is made up of a combination of genetic materials from both parents. While some men have early onset of hair loss, a co-author and statistical geneticist at the university, David Hill, noted that male pattern baldness affects around 80% of men by the age of 80 years. He added that his team could collect stronger genetic signals if they find men with early onset hair loss.
