Combing for Hair Genes

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is probably the most common form of hair loss in both men and women. Although a genetic component is recognized in the condition’s appellation, the true genetic basis of this phenotype is unknown. In previous studies, AGA was associated with changes in the androgen receptor (AR) gene on the X chromosome. Two groups of investigators recently tackled this common phenotype at the genome level.

Hillmer and colleagues conducted a genome-wide association study in German subjects to identify predisposing genetic factors in AGA. The researchers genotyped 296 males with early-onset (age, <40) AGA, with a median Hamilton and Norwood hair-loss grade of VI (range, IV–VII) and 383 population-based controls (201 women; the mixe…