Baldness Gene Discovered — 1 In 7 Men "At Risk"

FiReaNGeL writes "Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study of 1,125 Caucasian men who had been assessed for male pattern baldness. They found two previously unknown genetic variants on chromosome 20 that substantially increased the risk of male pattern baldness. They then confirmed these findings in an additional 1,650 Caucasian men. 'If you have both the risk variants we discovered on chromosome 20 and the unrelated known variant on the X chromosome, your risk of becoming bald increases sevenfold. What's startling is that one in seven men have both of those risk variants.'" So maybe gene therapy will finally have a real purpose.

Comments

Re:cool

[Anonymous Coward]

Mom?

Badness?

[the_arrow]

I hope I'm not the only one misreading the title as "Badness gene found".

Re:Why on earth,,,

[Gerafix]

Says the haired guy. Down with haired people! Rise my brethren and let our bald heads shine under the sun...

Women are listening

[shaitand]

First they find the monogomy gene and then they find the baldness gene. How much longer before women insist on genetic pre-screening before they put out?

as my barber always said

[laoudji]

God only made so many beautiful heads; the others he covered with hair.

Re:Very Important Research Topic

[the eric conspiracy]

Since Captain Picard is bald in the 23rd century it appears this idea went nowhere.

Why we go bald

[fiannaFailMan]

It's nature's way of telling a man to hurry up and settle down with a woman instead of being a playboy all his life. If you're still acting the playboy while your hairline is receding, the pressure's on to find a mate that you want to raise kids with. Hence, the baldness gene remains in the gene pool. That's my theory anyway.

(No funny mods please, I'm being serious.)