The purpose of this study is to determine whether Minoxidil treatment affects hair growth in patients with male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia.
The most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known as male pattern balding, or hereditary thinning. In AGA, there is a gradual transformation of large terminal hair follicles to miniaturized ones under the influence of circulating androgens that produce smaller and finer hairs with a shorter anagen cycle. This transformation, which can be seen as early as the prepubescent years, occurs only in certain regions of the scalp: the frontal hairline, top and vertex scalp. The temporo-occipital region is largely unaffected even in those with extensive balding. The first drug to be approved for the FDA for the treatment of AGA was topical minoxidil solution (TMS). Despite its successful use, the mechanism of action of TMS is not well understood. Minoxidil is a potent vasodilator and potassium channel opener, but its mechanism of action in promoting hair regrowth appears to be independent of its vasodilation properties. Improved knowledge of the changes in gene expression associated with AGA before and after treatment with TMS and compared to placebo may lead to a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of action of TMS. Furthermore, there is potential for identification of those patients who would best respond to or benefit from treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
14
Skin Study Center, UH Case Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Analysis of change in gene expression before and after topical minoxidil application
Time frame: at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment
Differences ing ene expression in two different regions of the scalp, frontal and vertex.
Time frame: Baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment
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