Genetics playing a role in Baldness Pattern

Genetics on Pattern Baldness

Pattern baldness is a common form of hair loss that affects both men and women. It often appears as a receding hairline in men or diffuse thinning in women. Around half of men experience some degree of hair loss by age 50, while women typically experience it later in life. The androgen receptor (AR) gene, located on the X chromosome, influences how the body responds to androgens like dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When hair follicles are sensitive to DHT, they gradually shrink in a process called follicular miniaturization, leading to thinner, shorter hairs and eventually reduced hair growth.

Baldness is not controlled by a single gene; it is considered a polygenic trait, meaning multiple genes across different chromosomes contribute to a person’s likelihood of developing it. These genes can influence everything from hormone activity to the health of hair follicles. While the AR gene helps explain why baldness is often associated with the maternal side of the family, it is only part of the story. Many other genes inherited from both parents also play a role, making the inheritance pattern much more complex than a simple dominant or recessive trait. Overall, family history can increase the risk of baldness, but it cannot precisely predict when or how it will occur.

Source :How Is Baldness Passed Down? The Genetics Explained - Biology Insights

Another Source: Can genetic testing really predict male pattern baldness and how accurate is it?

Why Genetics Shape GLP-1 Weight Loss Results?

GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, become popular for helping people lose weight; however, the survey shows that four people use the same treatment and one of them did not respond to it. So, they do not effectively work on everyone. Recent research suggests that a person’s genes might be part of the reason. Scientists have found certain genetic variants that affect how the body responds to these drugs, particularly, humans usually have two copies of each gene, but these copies can differ. Furthermore, researchers found that people with one copy of the rs10305420 variant lost about 1.7 pounds more than those without it. And the fact is that about 40% of individuals with European and Middle Eastern ancestry carry this variant, the explanation for why people from different populations show noticeable differences in body mass when using GLP-1. 

Additionally, these drugs work by targeting hormones that control appetite and blood sugar, but if someone has a specific gene variant, their body may react differently. This report is important because it could lead to more personalized treatments in the future, where genetic could be tested to predict who will benefit most from GLP-1 medications. 

Source:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-well-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-work-may-depend-on-your-genetics/

Additional Source:

https://www.childrenscolorado.org/advances-answers/recent-articles/gene-variants-metabolic-traits/

RNA as a Vaccine For Cancer

 Cancer Treatment has been majorly transformed in the last couple of years. From toxic therapies like chemo, to immunotherapy. Among the most effective treatments is the development of RNA based vaccines, especially mRNA. These aim to use the body's own immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. This Idea originally came from the COVID-19 pandemic but is now being implemented into Cancer treatment

RNA Vaccines are a type if immunotherapy that works by giving your cells genetic instructions. These instructions encode for certain proteins that are associated with cancer. Once it is inside of a cell, the mRNA is translated. This process alerts the immune system to recognize these proteins and mount a response against the cells displaying them

The advantages include High Specificity, Safety, Rapid Development, and Strong Immune Activation. all of these reasons support mRNA being better in different ways compared to traditional treatments.

Sources:

Li, J. (2025). mRNA vaccines: Current applications and future directions. PMC.

Sayour, E. J., et al. (2024). Cancer mRNA vaccines: Clinical advances and future directions. Nature Reviews Cancer.

Yaremenko, A. V., et al. (2025). Clinical advances of mRNA vaccines for cancer. ScienceDirect.

Mapping Genetic Variance In Neurodegenerative Diseases

 

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/new-technique-maps-genetic-variants-driving-neurodegenerative-disease-risk 

https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/translational-research/new-method-improves-mapping-of-neurodegenerative-disease-genetic-variants/ 

    Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine have invented a new tool to help map genetic variance in patients who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases.  This new tool  was named B.A.S.I.C. which stands for Bulk And Single cell eQTL Integration across Cell states.  The eQTL stands for Expression Quantitative Trait Loci which is a method that measures expression levels  of certain genes.  The BASIC system operates by analyzing both bulk tissue samples as well as single cell data.  The system is able to detect brain cells that conventional methods often miss.  One example of this is microglia cells in the brain that are responsible for regulating brain development.  The new BASIC system is able to detect these specialized cells and diagnose diseases when  they are not present.  The team at Penn State's Medical College  has already used this system to identify new genes that are linked to both Alzheimer's and ALS.  

Are Allergies Genetic?: Understanding the Role of DNA and Environment

 

        Allergies affect millions of people, but scientists are still working to understand what causes them. A recent article explores whether allergies are genetic and shows that the answer is more complex than a simple yes or no answer. Research suggests that both genetics and environmental factors play important roles in the development of allergies. Allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a harmless substance, such as pollen or certain foods, as a threat. This triggers an immune response that leads to symptoms like sneezing, rashes, or difficulty breathing.

        Studies show that genetics do contribute to allergy risk. For example, identical twins are much more likely to share similar allergies than fraternal twins, suggesting a strong genetic influence. Scientists have also identified specific genes, such as the FLG gene, that affect the skin’s protective barrier. Mutations in this gene can increase the likelihood of developing conditions like eczema and other allergic responses. However, genetics alone does not determine whether someone will develop allergies. Environmental factors such as early exposure to allergens, diet, antibiotic use, and even the body’s microbiome can influence how the immune system responds. This means that a person may inherit a higher risk of allergies but never actually develop them.

        This research is important because it highlights how genes and environment work together to influence health. Understanding these interactions could help scientists develop better prevention strategies, especially in early childhood. Overall, allergies are not caused by genetics alone, but by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure.

Source: 

https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/are-allergies-genetic

Additional Link: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10353570/

Brain Circuit linked to Schizophrenia

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers found a potential cause for a common symptom that individuals with schizophrenia experience. People with schizophrenia exhibit a sense of lost reality often not knowing the difference between what is reality and what is fake. These researches proposed a possible cause for these experiences. A mutation in a gene impairs a function in the brain that updates thoughts based off of new information. A person with schizophrenia can take medication to target the mutation of the gene called grin2a to help with the brain circuit impairments. Researchers found that the most affected region of the brain was the mediodorsal thalamus. This region is responsible for decision making and control. Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component; the chances of having schizophrenia increase 1%-10% if a parent or sibling are affected. Many gene variants that are affected are in non-coding regions making it difficult for researchers to study. 

Figure 1. Graphic of the Symptoms of Schizophrenia

    This research provides evidence that can lead to medications to help combat this cognitive impairment. Schizophrenia is an interesting disorder because of the large genetic component. Scientists are discovering the reasoning behind these abnormal behaviors and thoughts which provide more insight on why affected individuals have these different beliefs. Hopefully with this new information, scientists find a way to correct the brain circuit that is responsible for updating the brain to believe new information so people with schizophrenia no longer hallucinate. 

Link: 

https://news.mit.edu/2026/brain-circuit-incorporates-new-information-may-be-linked-schizophrenia-0318

Additional link discussing schizophrenic hallucinations:

https://goodhealthpsych.com/blog/types-of-hallucinations-in-schizophrenia/

Designer Babies: Should We Be Concerned?

It has become possible through new techniques in genetics to make changes to human embryos that creates the concept of designer babies. This would involve altering certain characteristics such as intelligence or eye color before the baby is born. The reason this has become possible is that DNA can now be manipulated with greater precision, thanks to technology such as CRISPR.

This technology may help in the prevention of some genetic disorders; however, it also creates  significant ethical questions. Many researchers have expressed their doubts regarding this procedure since they consider it unsafe and unexplored. In addition, this may create discrimination due to economic differences among families.

The other concern that needs to be mentioned is that complicated traits such as intelligence have many genetic and environmental factors, making them hard to manipulate and control. Even though people think designing a baby is easy, it is actually difficult and complex. 

However, I do not think that such a form of genetic modification is necessary. Although it may be useful in the prevention of certain diseases, the use of genetic manipulation to select traits is controversial. This issue indicates the influence that genetics now has in society.

Source: https://scienceinsights.org/the-ethics-and-science-of-designer-babies-and-gene-editing/

Additional Source: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/ethics

Tags: #DesignerBabies #Ethics #Genetics #CRISPR

Genetic With Educational Fields

 

A Nature Genetics study looked at whether our genes can influence what subjects we choose to study in school. The researchers studied over 460,000 people and found certain genetic differences that are linked to fields like science, health, or the humanities.

The study showed that genetics plays a small role in these choices, about 7%, but most of it is still influenced by things like your environment, family, and personal experiences. This means your DNA doesn’t decide your future, but it might affect your interests or strengths a little bit.

What makes this study interesting is that it focuses on what people choose to study, not just how long they stay in school. It suggests that genetics might influence personality traits or abilities that help guide career paths.

Overall, this study shows that both genetics and life experiences work together to shape our decisions. Even though genes play a role, people still have control over their choices and future.

Links: 

Genetic factors are associated with educational field choices | FinnGen. (2023). FinnGen. https://www.finngen.fi/en/genetic-factors-are-associated-educational-field-choices

Cheesman, R., Ville Anapaz, Alten, S. van, Abdel Abdellaoui, Porneso, R., Ebeltoft, J. C., Ziada Ayorech, Demange, P. A., Eilertsen, E. M., Fauske, A., Havdahl, A., Lahtinen, H., Lyngstad, T. H., Qin, Q., Ganna, A., & Eivind Ystrom. (2025). Genetic associations with educational fields. Nature Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02391-z