Male Pattern Baldness

What is male pattern baldness?

Male pattern baldness is caused by a genetic sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT. This hormone causes follicles to shrink or "miniaturize". In turn, this shortens their lifespan and prevents them from producing hair normally.

5-alpha-reductase and DHT

Men with androgenic alopecia typically have higher levels of 5-alpha-reductase, lower levels of total testosterone, higher levels of unbound/free testosterone, and higher levels of total free androgens including DHT.

PGD2

Recent research suggests that elevated levels of the enzyme prostaglandin D2 synthase and its product prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in hair follicles causes androgenetic alopecia. [Garza A et al]

• Prostaglandin D2 synthase (Prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase (PTGDS) = H-PGDS) converts prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) into prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), so maybe a topical inhibitor of this enzyme will do the trick (to compensate for the elevated level of this enzyme).
  • HQL-79 is a well known, but relatively weak H-PGDS inhibitor. [Aritake K et al]
  • Scientists seem to have designed much more potent H-PGDS inhibitors. [Kamauchi S et al]
  • More H-PGDS inhibitors here, but no formulae are provided "The formulae of the inhibitors are proprietary information"[Takahashi S et al]
  • TFC-007 is a selective H-PGDS inhibitor. [Nabe T et al]

• H-PGDS levels also seem to decrease rapidly (through the ubiquitin-proteasome system) when intracellular calcium is increased [Yazaki M et al] [Free full text]
  • but (the required) calcium ionophores (to increase intracellular calcium locally) also seem to promote tumors. [Kumar S et al]