A sort of stem cell defect could lead to ommon baldness

In men, hair loss is known as male pattern baldness, marked by the familiar receding hairline and thinning hair on top of the head - a condition that sometimes leads to complete baldness.

A new study at University of Pennsylvania reveals common baldness could have its roots in a newly identified stem cell defect.

Researchers say they discovered that a cellular malfunction short-circuits the process by which hair follicle stem cells turn into hair-producing progenitor cells. That defect, rather than any loss of stem cells themselves, sparks the onset of androgenetic alopecia, the medical term for a type of genetic hair loss that affects both men and women, they report. This new finding could potentially lead to new hair-loss treatments down the road.