Topical minoxidil improves congenital hypotrichosis caused by LIPH mutations

Successful treatment of hereditary hypotrichosis simplex by platelet rich plasma injection with topical minoxidil 2

Background: Hereditary hypotrichosis simplex is a rare genetic hair disease that affects the scalp. Failure to grow normal hair in terms of length and density is the main complaint of patients. Diagnosis usually established by exclusion of other congenital hair and other ectodermal disorders. Till now, no satisfactory treatment was used for the condition.Report: A 14 year old patient with hypotrichosis simplex was treated with combined platelet rich plasma injection and topical minoxidil 2% with marked improvement.Conclusion: While no satisfactory treatment presents for this condition, the use of platelet rich plasma injection can add new hope for hypotrichosis simplex patients.

Botanical extracts in combination improves autosomal recessive woolly hair/ hypotrichosis caused by LIPH mutations

Mutation in the lipase H (LIPH) gene is a main reason for autosomal recessive woolly hair (ARWH)/ hypotrichosis [1]. Although some studies reported that topical minoxidil could improve ARWH [2] [3], an effective treatment method for this disease still lacks. In this paper, we reported a case of hair growth in an ARWH patient with a LIPH gene mutation, using combined treatment of botanical extracts, and attempted to explore potential treatment options for ARWH.

Isolated autosomal recessive woolly hair/hypotrichosis: genetics, pathogenesis and therapies

Isolated autosomal recessive woolly hair/hypotrichosis (ARWH) is a rare hereditary hair disease characterized by tightly curled sparse hair at birth or in early infancy. Patients with ARWH consist of genetically heterogeneous groups. Woolly hair autosomal recessive 1 (ARWH1) (MIM #278150), woolly hair autosomal recessive 2 (ARWH2) (MIM #604379) and woolly hair autosomal recessive 3 (ARWH3) (MIM #616760) are caused by mutations in LPAR6, LIPH and KRT25, respectively. In addition, nonsense variants in C3ORF52 (*611956) were identified in ARWH patients. The frequencies of the mutations in the causative genes in ARWH patients are thought to differ by ethnicity and country/geographical area. Large numbers of ARWH families with LIPH mutations have been described only in populations from Japan, Pakistan and the Volga-Ural region of Russia. In that region of Russia, most ARWH families have an extremely prevalent founder mutation, the deletion of exon 4, in LIPH. In the Pakistani population, 47.2% of ARWH families had the disease due to LIPH mutations and 52.8% of them carried LPAR6 mutations. The prevalent, recurrent LIPH mutation c.659_660delTA (p.Ile220Argfs*29) was found in more than half of Pakistani ARWH families with LIPH mutations. Most Japanese ARWH families (98.7%) harbour LIPH mutations, including the two highly prevalent, recurrent LIPH mutations c.736T>A (p.Cys246Ser) and c.742C>A (p.His248Asn). In ARWH patients whose disease was due to LIPH, LPAR6 or C3ORF52 mutations, the loss of function of LIPH, LPAR6 or C3ORF52 leads to reduced LIPH-LPA-LPAR6 signalling, resulting in the decreased transactivation of EGFR signalling and the phenotype of underdeveloped hairs. Our recent prospective interventional study suggests that topical minoxidil might be a promising treatment for ARWH due to LIPH mutations, although sufficiently effective treatments have not been established for ARWH yet.