Scientists Cure Baldness in Mice; Mice Fedora Industry Panics

By Nick Greene Fri., Feb. 18 2011 at 11:11 AM

Scientists have accidentally discovered a five-day treatment that reverses baldness in mice, ABC News reports. Does this mean you will never have to tell someone his thinning hair looks "dignified" ever again? Maybe. Dr. Mulugeta Million and his team of scientists (we'll call them "The Millionaires") plan on taking this drug treatment into clinical trials. We're talking humans, the majors, the big leagues.

Like all good discoveries or trips to IHOP, this breakthrough occurred by accident:

Million and colleagues were studying gut function in mice that happened to have alopecia -- hair loss -- because of an increase in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a compound that seems to play a role in how the body responds to stress. When they injected an antagonist -- a compound that blocks CRF -- once daily for five days, the mice re-grew hair. It was an effect that held up for four months.

"We weren't prepared to see anything like that," Million said.

It gets even better. Not satisfied with merely reversing baldness, this CRF blocker was found to help other vain, ultimately pointless ailments:

The treatment not only reversed hair loss, it also prevented it if started ahead of time. It also restored pigmentation in the skin -- an effect Million said might prevent graying too.

Dr. Million's antagonist beat out Rogaine, which only produced "moderate" hair re-growth. This is all very exciting, but until it is approved in clinical trials, bald men will have to watch the women they spent all night talking to at the bar go home with handsome, thick-haired lab mice.

Accidently Reverse Baldness, Alopecia in Mice [ABC]

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AlopeciaAreata

I am appalled by the insensitivity in this article. Alopecia is a legitimate autoimmune disorder that affects both men and women throughout the world. As someone with alopecia, I can assure you it is not vanity that drives my desire for better treatments, or even a cure. At the points where the alopecia is active, my scalp burns, to the extent of a bad sunburn, and in order to alleviate I must douse my head with topical steroids. Hair loss on other parts of my body, such as eyelashes and nose, have left me with eye issues and constant colds, for these hairs serve a purpose: to protect the body from any unwanted objects or germs.

Lastly, a recent gene study has found that the gene that carries alopecia also carries diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Because organs that are affected by diabetes and arthritis are not ones that can be biopsied, this connection is vital in the search for better treatments, as the skin is something that can easily be biopsied.

Yes, alopecia is not debilitating to the extent of some other autoimmune diseases, but it is a condition that many people must deal with daily. It is not merely cosmetic, but a condition that carries with it very real physical and emotional implications.

Next time you decide to express an opinion, please do a little research first.