Genetic Susceptibility to Alopecia

The hair unit is composed of specialized compartments that are coordinately responsible for synthesis of the hair fiber. The principal signaling center of the hair follicle resides in the dermal papilla, which consists of a specialized fibroblast population that is responsible for regeneration and cycling of the follicle. The dermal papilla interacts with the overlying epithelial cells, known as the hair matrix, to generate the hair shaft.1 The size of the dermal papilla niche is dynamic and actively regulated, and a reduction in the number of cells that make up the dermal papilla is believed to contribute to the loss . . .