543 | id == 543
543 | category_id == 30
543 | category_order == 27
543 | category_name == Hair Loss
543 | category_color == #C47AC0
543 | slug == TWIST1-baldness
543 | title == A Cell Division Regulation Gene in Male Pattern Baldness (TWIST1)
543 | meta_description == The TWIST1 gene encodes a transcription factor that regulates cell division. What is its connection to male pattern baldness?
543 | summary == <p><strong>The <em>TWIST1 </em>gene encodes a transcription factor that regulates cell growth and division. What is its connection to male pattern baldness? Find out here.</strong></p>
543 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on TWIST1)
543 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/TWIST1-Male-pattern-baldness.jpg
543 | author_id == 1
543 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
543 | author_title == BSc, BEd
543 | author_order == 36
543 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
543 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
543 | reviewer == None
543 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
543 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
543 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
543 | publish_date == 2020
543 | publish_date == 12
543 | publish_date == 11
543 | avg_rating == 5.0
543 | tags_id == 768
543 | tags_name == Cell Death
543 | tags_id == 536
543 | tags_name == Cell Development
543 | tags_id == 1029
543 | tags_name == Hair Loss
543 | tags_id == 1028
543 | tags_name == Male-Pattern Baldness
543 | tags_id == 1030
543 | tags_name == TWIST1 Gene
543 | tags_id == 1031
543 | tags_name == Wnt Signalling
543 | tags_id == 341
543 | tags_name == Zinc
543 | permissions_favorite == False
543 | permissions_rate == False
543 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes twist family bHLH transcription factor 1. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in male-pattern baldness by decreasing cell division. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by supporting the wnt signalling pathway.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>TWIST1</em></strong><strong> and Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes a protein called twist family bHLH transcription factor 1. This protein helps determine what types of cells will be formed during early development and differentiation. It is most active during the growth of the embryo and fetus; in adults, it is believed to play a role in the growth and maintenance of bone [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7291"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adult mice with reduced </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene expression have dramatically faster hair growth compared to normal mice. Researchers have suggested, based on this data, that lower TWIST1 function may promote increased hair growth in adults [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been associated with male-pattern baldness. Some of these variants may increase </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expression, while others may decrease it. TWIST1 is believed to be part of the wnt signalling pathway, which regulates cell growth and division and is typically researched for its link to cancer [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002746"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5691155/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TWIST1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a transcription factor that may suppress hair growth. People with higher TWIST1 activity may be more likely to develop male-pattern baldness.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>TWIST1</em></strong><strong> Results for Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p>*1041592863667510*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><strong>TWIST1</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs2073963/"><strong>rs2073963</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002746"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may increase TWIST1 activity, leading to decreased rates of hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><strong>TWIST1</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs13245206/"><strong>rs13245206</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may decrease TWIST1 activity, leading to increased rates of hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><strong>TWIST1</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs17140672/"><strong>rs17140672</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may decrease TWIST1 activity, leading to increased rates of hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/twist1/"><strong>TWIST1</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs10225279/"><strong>rs10225279</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may increase TWIST1 activity, leading to decreased rates of hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*8994493587092909*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Improving Hair Growth</strong></h2> <p>*6043423133301826*</p> <h3><strong>LLLT</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low-level laser therapy (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/my-review-of-lllt/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) is the application of low-power lasers to the surface of the body. LLLT may help stimulate hair growth through the wnt signalling pathway, which interacts closely with TWIST1 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5691155/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28508243/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT seems to stimulate the production of NO and free radicals, both of which act as messenger molecules to trigger physiological responses such as hair growth [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33111207/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The FDA approved this technique for male-pattern baldness in 2007. Meta-analyses of 11 different placebo-controlled trials suggest that LLLT may improve hair growth and density, both alone and in combination with conventional treatments. However, they warned that larger studies with longer follow-up periods and independent sources of funding are required to confirm these results [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29270707/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29286826/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30706177/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">LLLT may promote hair growth through the wnt signalling pathway, which may decrease TWIST1.</span></p> <h3><strong>Zinc</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may help support the wnt signalling pathway, which is believed to regulate TWIST1 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25912432/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study of 120 men found that those with male-pattern baldness had lower blood levels of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/biotin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B7</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30714301/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another study of 48 men with this condition, normal blood zinc levels were associated with better success of conservative therapies and increased hair density [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277952/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good dietary sources of zinc include red meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11053529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Zinc may regulate TWIST1 through the wnt signalling pathway. This could help explain why people with higher zinc levels tend to have higher hair density.</span></p> <h3><strong>L-Carnitine</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exposure to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/carnitine-top-18-science-based-health-effects-carnitine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">L-carnitine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> enhanced wnt signalling in stem cells. Through its interaction with wnt, carnitine may also help regulate TWIST1 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367658/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a placebo-controlled trial of 60 men and women with baldness caused by male sex hormones, topical application of a solution with 2% L-</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/carnitine-top-18-science-based-health-effects-carnitine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">carnitine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for 6 months increased hair density and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase. L-carnitine promoted hair follicle cell growth while preventing their death [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17804203/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17927577/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an uncontrolled trial of 60 men and women, two similar commercial solutions with L-carnitine, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/gamma-linolenic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gamma-linolenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and a compound from soybean (equol) increased both hair count and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase after 1-6 months of application [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30371981/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">L-carnitine increased wnt signalling in a cell study. Through this pathway, it may help increase hair density.</span></p>
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543 | content_learn_more_8994493587092909_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your TWIST1 gene is somewhat associated with increased hair loss. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of male-pattern baldness; it’s just one gene related to it. LLLT, zinc, and L-carnitine may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs10225279,rs17140672,rs13245206,rs2073963
rsStatus = rs10225279,,chr7,19093449,G,C,T,,25,1,HET
rsStatus = rs17140672,,chr7,19101636,A,C,G,,19,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs13245206,HDAC9,chr7,18851636,G,A,,,32,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2073963,HDAC9,chr7,18838251,T,G,,,34,0,Normal
