Hair loss

Hair loss, or alopecia, is total or partial baldness caused by hormonal changes or physical or mental stress. Hair loss occurs for many reasons. Some causes, such as hormonal changes, are considered natural, while others signal serious health problems. Some conditions are confined to the scalp, while others reflect disease processes throughout the body.

Ruxolitinib and tofacitinib restore hair in patients with alopecia areata

FDA-approved drug restores hair in patients with alopecia areata — Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disease that causes disfiguring hair loss – Researchers have identified the immune cells responsible for destroying hair follicles in people with alopecia areata, a common autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and have tested an FDA-approved drug that eliminated these immune cells and restored hair growth in a small number of patients.

New melanoma drug doubles survival of skin cancer patients

Skin cancer drug hopes raised by study — Advanced melanoma drug nearly doubles survival time – Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival.

Erivedge approved for skin cancer metastatic basal cell carcinoma

FDA approves new treatment for most common type of skin cancer – Erivedge or vismodegib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The Erivedge drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

New gene in hair loss identified

New gene in hair loss identified by Columbia-led research team — Mutation in gene leads to a type of thin hair, also seen in male pattern baldness – A team of investigators from Columbia, Rockefeller and Stanford Universities has identified a new gene involved in hair growth, as reported in a paper in the April 15 issue of Nature.

Amino acid may help hair pulling condition trichotillomania

Amino acid may help treat patients with hair-pulling condition – trichotillomania. – The amino acid N-acetylcysteine appears to reduce symptoms of compulsive hair-pulling in patients with a condition known as trichotillomania, revealed by researchers in a new study.

New gene silencing way to turn off cervical cancer genes

One step closer to turning off cancer genes with gene silencing technology for cervical cancer patients and also with no hair loss. – Researchers at The University of Queensland have developed a way to deliver drugs which can specifically shut down cancer-causing genes in tumour cells while sparing normal healthy tissues.

Triple drug combination promising to treat breast cancer

Triple drug combination is promising option to treat metastatic HER2+ breast cancer – Combining two chemotherapy drugs with trastuzumab (Herceptin) to treat women who have metastatic HER2+ breast cancer may offer physicians another choice in their treatment options.

Hairspray use during pregnancy may cause birth defect in newborn

Hairspray is linked to common genital birth defect, says study. Hairspray during pregnancy double the risk of genital birth defect hypospadias. – Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Gene identified for hair loss in hypotrichosis simplex

Gene identified for hair loss in hypotrichosis simplex

New gene improves our understanding of hair growth and offers a path to effective therapies. Research findings will lead to new therapies that will work with various forms of hair loss. – A healthy individual loses around a hundred hairs a day. Nothing to worry about as long as they are constantly replaced and the losses occur evenly around the whole scalp. But when hair loss goes well beyond this level it can become quite a problem for those affected ? not only superficially in terms of looks but also psychologically.

Nexavar approved for patients with inoperable liver cancer

Anticancer drug Nexavar raised survival period in inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma patients suffering from this kind of liver cancer. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable. Nexavar was originally approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.

Health Newstrack