552 | id == 552
552 | category_id == 30
552 | category_order == 27
552 | category_name == Hair Loss
552 | category_color == #C47AC0
552 | slug == RORA-baldness
552 | title == A DNA Damage-Sensing Gene in Skin Health & Hair Growth (RORA)
552 | meta_description == The RORA gene encodes a receptor that regulates cell growth & development. What is its connection to male-pattern baldness?
552 | summary == <p><strong>The <em>RORA </em>gene encodes a receptor that regulates cell growth &amp; development. What is its connection to male-pattern baldness? Find out here.</strong></p>
552 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on ICE2)
552 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/RORA-Male-pattern-baldness---was-ICE2.jpg
552 | author_id == 1
552 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
552 | author_title == BSc, BEd
552 | author_order == 36
552 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
552 | 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>
552 | reviewer == None
552 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
552 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
552 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
552 | publish_date == 2020
552 | publish_date == 12
552 | publish_date == 16
552 | avg_rating == 5.0
552 | tags_id == 536
552 | tags_name == Cell Development
552 | tags_id == 1032
552 | tags_name == Hair Follicle
552 | tags_id == 1029
552 | tags_name == Hair Loss
552 | tags_id == 895
552 | tags_name == ICE2 Gene
552 | tags_id == 1028
552 | tags_name == Male-Pattern Baldness
552 | tags_id == 749
552 | tags_name == RORA Gene
552 | tags_id == 776
552 | tags_name == Skin health
552 | tags_id == 104
552 | tags_name == Tregs
552 | permissions_favorite == False
552 | permissions_rate == False
552 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes retinoid-related orphan receptor &alpha; (ROR&alpha;). Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in male-pattern baldness by dysregulating skin cell development and decreasing Treg activity. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by supporting ROR&alpha; and Treg function.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>RORA </em></strong><strong>and Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/rora/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes part of a hormone receptor called retinoid-related orphan receptor &alpha; (ROR&alpha;) that regulates the growth of organs, suppresses tumors, and protects the brain from damage [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/RORA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ROR&alpha; is also essential for healthy growth and development of keratinocytes, skin cells which differentiate into other, more specialized types of cells. Without ROR&alpha;, keratinocyte differentiation becomes dysregulated, and skin cells may not develop properly. Among the tissues affected during this process are hair follicles [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726659/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers also believe that ROR&alpha; plays a role in preventing inflammation of the skin by promoting the anti-inflammatory function of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/treg/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Treg</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cells. This is a secondary mechanism by which ROR&alpha; may promote healthy skin, hair follicles, and hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5912895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At least two variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been associated with male-pattern baldness. It is unknown whether the risk alleles for these variants increase or decrease ROR&alpha; activity, but the function of ROR&alpha; suggests that higher activity may be protective [</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> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These two variants may also affect the expression of other genes, including </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/ice2/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ICE2</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. However, the function of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ICE2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is not as well-studied as that of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and we don&rsquo;t currently know whether </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ICE2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> affects hair growth.</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;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a receptor that regulates cell growth and development. In the skin, it may help hair follicles develop properly and supports the anti-inflammatory function of Treg cells.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>RORA</em></strong><strong> Results for Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p>*3209849412461085*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/rora/"><strong>RORA</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs11071559/"><strong>rs11071559</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;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may reduce ROR&alpha; activity, potentially leading to dysregulated hair follicle development and reduced hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726659/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/rora/"><strong>RORA</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs2028122/"><strong>rs2028122</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;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <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;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele may reduce ROR&alpha; activity, potentially leading to dysregulated hair follicle development and reduced hair growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726659/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*3097844498820588*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Improving Hair Growth</strong></h2> <p>*5771030038421764*</p> <h3><strong>Avoid Cigarettes</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When DNA is damaged, ROR&alpha; becomes active as part of the attempt to repair and restore it. People with low ROR&alpha; activity should be especially careful to avoid environmental factors that can damage DNA, as their natural repair mechanisms may be less effective than the average person&rsquo;s [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5450975/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cigarette smoke is among the most common causes of DNA damage and one of the most important to eliminate [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5450975/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cigarette smoke may also reduce the survival rate of anti-inflammatory </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/treg/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tregs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Given that ROR&alpha; supports Treg function, people with low ROR&alpha; may be at particular risk of inflammation and damage if Treg activity is further reduced [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4726532/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies have associated smoking with an approximately 2-fold increased risk of male-pattern baldness. Cigarette smoke may cause oxidative and inflammatory damage in the hair follicles, impair hair growth, and reduce female sex hormone levels. A study found that the combination of smoking with being overweight increased male-pattern baldness severity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12673073/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28555720/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18025364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32946667/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23629119/"><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;">Cigarette smoke damages DNA and reduces Treg activity, which may be more harmful for people with low ROR&alpha; activity. Smoking is also linked to male-pattern baldness.</span></p> <h3><strong>Zinc</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ROR&alpha; protein includes two structures called </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;"> fingers that help it bind to damaged DNA. As you might expect from their name, these structures include zinc, and ROR&alpha; cannot function without them [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene?Db=gene&amp;Cmd=DetailsSearch&amp;Term=6095"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tregs also require a large pool of free zinc in the blood and tissues in order to function correctly [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6274670/"><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 is required for ROR&alpha; and Treg function. People with male-pattern baldness tend to have lower blood levels of zinc than average.</span></p>
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552 | content_learn_more_3097844498820588_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your RORA gene is somewhat associated with dysregulated skin cell growth. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of male-pattern baldness; it’s just one gene related to it. Avoiding cigarettes and increasing zinc intake may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs11071559,rs2028122
rsStatus = rs11071559,RORA,chr15,60777789,C,T,,,33,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2028122,RORA,chr15,60549076,A,C,G,T,22,0,Normal
