ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Scientists Make Interesting Breakthrough In Cure For Baldness

Scientists Make Interesting Breakthrough In Cure For Baldness

They might also have found out how to get rid of grey hair.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Scientists have chased a cure for baldness for about as long as there have been scientists, and now it looks like a new breakthrough, which came about accidentally, could hold the secret.

Baldness is a bit of a sensitive issue for many men (and women). Of course, lots of men are bald and don't give a fuck. The Rock hasn't let it hold him back, nor has Patrick Stewart, but for others who don't like it, going bald can seriously knock self-image.

As reported by Science Daily, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Centre were actually conducting a study into cancer, and what causes tumours to grow, when they discovered the role a protein (which has been given the catchy name KROX20) plays in hair colour.

The protein is created inside cells in the hair follicle; in turn this protein sets off another protein called SCF. If SCF isn't produced hair will lose its colour - the mice used in the study went white without it. And, mice who were lacking KROX20-producing cells totally, couldn't produce any new hairs and ended up bald. Science.

Prince William definitely doesn't care about thinning on top. Look at him. Credit: PA

Dr. Lu Le, from UT Southwestern said: "Although this project was started in an effort to understand how certain kinds of tumors form, we ended up learning why hair turns grey and discovering the identity of the cell that directly gives rise to hair.

"With this knowledge, we hope in the future to create a topical compound or to safely deliver the necessary gene to hair follicles to correct these cosmetic problems."

The researchers will now try to find out if the KROX20 and SCF gene stop working as well as people age, leading to baldness and greyness, Dr Le added.

However, before we get too excited, the NHS was quick to point out that, while the findings are interesting it doesn't mean we'll be handed a magical cure for baldness or premature greying anytime soon.

On its website, the NHS writes: "The research is at an early stage, and it is not yet known whether the loss of hair colour is reversible and, if so, how it might be reversed."

Sorry to piss on your bonfire.

Featured Image Credit: The Simpsons/Fox

Choose your content: