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• Liposomes Effective in Delivering Gene Therapy

• HairSite Editorial - 7/29/99

• Hair and Scalp Clinic
  University of Pennsylvania
  June 1999

Keywords: Gene therapy, Liposomes, Plasmid DNA, Alopecia Areata, Gray Hair, Beta Galactosidase

Researchers from the Hair and Scalp Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania had succeeded in having growing human hair take up genetic material and inherit a new growing pattern from the new genes. Specifically, the Clinic had managed to turn growing human hair blue using gene therapy. Researchers are optimistic that gene therapy can ultimately be used to treat graying hair and various kinds of hair loss, even alopecia areata which happens when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follices. Alopecia areata usually occurs in children and is a very devastating experience for the sufferers.

The basic idea about gene therapy is that scientifically developed genetic materials are used to replace faulty genes or enhance the functions of existing genes in the body. Gene therapy has gained a lot of recognition in recent years and have been tested in variety of conditions from cancer to heart diseases.

At this point, the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania focused on using a gene coding for an enzyme known as Beta Galactosidase, which turns hair follicles blue. As with most gene therapies, one of the biggest hurdle is to find a delivery mechanism that can effectively and efficiently deliver the new genetic material to the target cells. Liposomes were used as the delivery mechanism in the study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania. Liposomes are little spheres of fat-like substance which are easily absorbed into cells. It is an agent that is widely used in many skin products to enhance penetration. As for the genetic material used in the study, it was a simpler form of genes called Plasmid DNA.  "When we apply the preparation to the follicles, the liposomes bind to the cell membrane and the DNA is released into the cell, quickly finding its way to the nucleus," said Dr. Cotsarelis, director of the Hair and Scalp Clinic at the university.

Now the next hurdle, probably the biggest one, is to find the gene that affects hair growth or causes baldness.