Is curing male-pattern baldness important to you?

A protein in the scalp that may cause male-pattern baldness may be blocked with drugs being tested for other ailments, according to a recent study. (iStock) Researchers believe they may have found a way to reverse male-pattern baldness.

They've identified a protein in the scalp that may cause the condition and may be treated by drugs being tested for other ailments.

Prostaglandin D2, or PGD2, is found in excessive amounts in bald spots, the researchers wrote in a recent study in the journal Science Translational Medicine. They believe that by blocking the protein, dormant hair follicles may grow again, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

Comparing bald spots and hairy spots in scalp samples of five men, they found higher occurrences of the gene that produces PGD2 in the bald samples than in the haired one.

In samples of 17 balding men, they found that the concentration of PGD2 was three times greater in the bald spots than where hair was growing.

The researchers also used mice to show that high concentrations of the protein slowed or stopped hair growth.

According to Bloomberg, drugs being tested by Merck & Co. and Actelion Ltd. for facial flushing and allergies, respectively, block the protein.

Both companies told Bloomberg that they are not testing the drug as a treatment for baldness.

How important do you think it is to cure male-pattern baldness? If you are balding, how does it affect you, if at all? How far would you be willing to go to avoid baldness? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.