Angela Christiano

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Angela M. Christiano is a molecular geneticist in the field of dermatology. Her research focuses on genes involved in hair and skin growth, as well as treatments for hair loss and skin cancers. [1] She is the Richard and Mildred Rhodebeck Professor of Dermatology and Professor of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Contents

Angela M. Christiano
Alma mater
Awards National Academy of Sciences
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions Columbia University
Thesis The human tropoelastin gene: Allelic heterogeneity, evolutionary divergence, identification of restriction fragment length polymorphisms and linkage analyses in families with pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Doctoral advisor Charles D. Boyd

Education and early career

Christiano attended Nutley High School in Nutley, New Jersey. [2] She attended Douglass College, a women-only residential college within Rutgers University-New Brunswick, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. [3] She continued her scientific training at Rutgers University, earning her Master of Science in Molecular Pathology and Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics. As a postdoctoral researcher in the Jefferson Medical College Department of Dermatology, Christiano focused on genetic blistering skin diseases. [4]

Research

Christiano established her laboratory at Columbia University in 1996. [4]

Genes driving alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where a patient's immune cells attack their own hair follicles, causing hair to fall out in clumps. In collaboration with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), Christiano and her group were able to compare genomes between patients and healthy control individuals. [4]

In 2009, Christiano and her group published the discovery of 139 genetic markers linked to alopecia areata. [4] Although many expected that genes involved in alopecia would also be involved in other inherited hair and skin diseases, they found that genes linked to alopecia were linked to other types of autoimmune diseases instead: type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease. [4]

Potential implications for cancer therapy

In patients with alopecia, one of the genes that are hyperactive is IKZF1, which results in overproduction of immune cells that subsequently attack hair follicles. In contrast, many cancer cells escape detection and elimination by immune cells. Scientists in the Christiano Lab were able to activate IKZF1 in certain cancer types, e.g. melanoma, and suppress tumor growth. [5]

Strategies for growing human hair

In addition to her efforts in understanding the genetics behind alopecia, Christiano is also researching ways to treat it and other types of hair loss. Most therapies focus on stopping or slowing down hair loss, while hair transplantation simply moves one part of the scalp to another. Christiano's goal is to grow human hair in lab settings that could be then transplanted onto human scalp with minimal scarring. Although mouse and rat hair easily grow in lab, the methods do not work as well when growing human hair. [6] In 2013, Christiano and her group adapted the hanging drop cell culture technique to grow human cells that successfully grew human hair when transplanted onto the backs of nude mice. [7] [8] [9] [10] In 2015, Christiano and her group found that a class of drugs called JAK inhibitors promoted hair follicles to enter growth phase. [11] [12] In 2019, Christiano and colleagues developed a "hair farm", using a 3D-printed scaffold as a microenvironment to grow human skin cells and produce hair. [13] [14] [15]

Honors and awards

Personal life

Christiano is the first member in her family to attend college and graduate school. [4] Hair has been an integral part of her family, as her grandfather was a barber and her mother was retired hairdresser. [4] In her first year of establishing her lab, Christiano started experiencing hair loss and was diagnosed with alopecia areata. [4] While it was known that alopecia areata is genetic, it was not well understood which genes were involved and how they worked. Christiano decided to use her scientific training to address this gap in knowledge. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alopecia areata</span> Condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body

Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. It often results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are possible factors in bringing on alopecia areata in individuals at risk, but in most cases there is no obvious trigger. People are generally otherwise healthy. In a few cases, all the hair on the scalp is lost, or all body hair is lost. Hair loss can be permanent, or temporary. It is distinct from pattern hair loss, which is common among males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair loss</span> Loss of hair from the head or body

Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarring is not usually present. Hair loss in some people causes psychological distress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair follicle</span> Organ found in the dermal layer of the mammalian skin that regulates hair growth

The hair follicle is an organ found in mammalian skin. It resides in the dermal layer of the skin and is made up of 20 different cell types, each with distinct functions. The hair follicle regulates hair growth via a complex interaction between hormones, neuropeptides, and immune cells. This complex interaction induces the hair follicle to produce different types of hair as seen on different parts of the body. For example, terminal hairs grow on the scalp and lanugo hairs are seen covering the bodies of fetuses in the uterus and in some newborn babies. The process of hair growth occurs in distinct sequential stages: anagen is the active growth phase, catagen is the regression of the hair follicle phase, telogen is the resting stage, exogen is the active shedding of hair phase and kenogen is the phase between the empty hair follicle and the growth of new hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telogen effluvium</span> Medical condition

Telogen effluvium is a scalp disorder characterized by the thinning or shedding of hair resulting from the early entry of hair in the telogen phase. It is in this phase that telogen hairs begin to shed at an increased rate, where normally the approximate rate of hair loss is 125 hairs per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alopecia universalis</span> Medical condition

Alopecia universalis(AU), also known as alopecia areata universalis, is a medical condition involving the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, armpit hair, and pubic hair. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata. People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms and a normal life expectancy.

The management of hair loss, includes prevention and treatment of alopecia, baldness, and hair thinning, and regrowth of hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair transplantation</span> Surgical operation to relocate hair follicles

Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body, called the 'donor site', to a bald or balding part of the body known as the 'recipient site'. The technique is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. In this minimally invasive procedure, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to the bald scalp.

Follicular dysplasia is a genetic disease of dogs causing alopecia, also called hair loss. It is caused by hair follicles that are misfunctioning due to structural abnormality. There are several types, some affecting only certain breeds. Diagnosis is achieved through a biopsy, and treatment is rarely successful. Certain breeds, such as the Mexican Hairless Dog and Chinese Crested Dog, are bred specifically for alopecia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pattern hair loss</span> Medical condition

Pattern hair loss (also known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA)) is a hair loss condition that primarily affects the top and front of the scalp. In male-pattern hair loss (MPHL), the hair loss typically presents itself as either a receding front hairline, loss of hair on the crown (vertex) of the scalp, or a combination of both. Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) typically presents as a diffuse thinning of the hair across the entire scalp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncombable hair syndrome</span> Rare scalp hair shaft dysplasia

Uncombable hair syndrome (UHS) is a rare structural anomaly of the hair with a variable degree of effect. It is characterized by hair that is silvery, dry, frizzy, wiry, and impossible to comb. It was first reported in the early 20th century. It typically becomes apparent between the ages of 3 months and 12 years. UHS has several names, including "pili trianguli et canaliculi," "cheveux incoiffables," and "spun-glass hair." This disorder is believed to be autosomal recessive in most instances, but there are a few documented cases where multiple family members display the trait in an autosomal dominant fashion. Based on the current scientific studies related to the disorder, the three genes that have been causally linked to UHS are PADI3, TGM3, and TCHH. These genes encode proteins important for hair shaft formation. Clinical symptoms of the disorder arise between 3 months and 12 years of age. The quantity of hair on the head does not change, but hair starts to grow more slowly and becomes increasingly "uncombable." To be clinically apparent, 50% of all scalp hair shafts must be affected by UHS. This syndrome only affects the hair shaft of the scalp and does not influence hair growth in terms of quantity, textural feel, or appearance on the rest of the body.

Ophiasis is a form of alopecia areata characterized by the loss of hair in the shape of a wave at the circumference of the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FGF5</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Fibroblast growth factor 5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FGF5 gene.

Madarosis is a condition that results in the loss of eyelashes, and sometimes eyebrows. The term "madarosis" is derived from the ancient Greek "madaros", meaning "bald". It originally was a disease of only losing eyelashes but it currently is the loss of both eyelashes and eyebrows. Eyebrows and eyelashes are both important in the prevention of bacteria and other foreign objects from entering the eye. A majority of patients with madarosis have leprosy, and it was reported that 76% of patients with varying types of leprosy had madarosis.

Anagen effluvium is the pathologic loss of anagen or growth-phase hairs. Classically, it is caused by radiation therapy to the head and systemic chemotherapy, especially with alkylating agents.

Scarring hair loss, also known as cicatricial alopecia, is the loss of hair which is accompanied with scarring. This is in contrast to non scarring hair loss.

Non scarring hair loss, also known as noncicatricial alopecia is the loss of hair without any scarring being present. There is typically little inflammation and irritation, but hair loss is significant. This is in contrast to scarring hair loss during which hair follicles are replaced with scar tissue as a result of inflammation. Hair loss may be spread throughout the scalp (diffuse) or at certain spots (focal). The loss may be sudden or gradual with accompanying stress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontal fibrosing alopecia</span> Medical condition

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is the frontotemporal hairline recession and eyebrow loss in postmenopausal women that is associated with perifollicular erythema, especially along the hairline. It is considered to be a clinical variant of lichen planopilaris.

The growth of human hair occurs everywhere on the body except for the soles of the feet, the inside of the mouth, the lips, the backs of the ears, the palms of the hands, some external genital areas, the navel, scar tissue, and, apart from eyelashes, the eyelids. Hair is a stratified squamous keratinized epithelium made of multi-layered flat cells whose rope-like filaments provide structure and strength to the hair shaft. The protein called keratin makes up hair and stimulates hair growth. Hair follows a specific growth cycle with three distinct and concurrent phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Each phase has specific characteristics that determine the length of the hair.

Scalp reduction is a surgical procedure in which the hairless region of the scalp of a bald man is reduced. This procedure can reduce the area of the scalp in which hair transplantation is needed, or even eliminate the need for hair transplantation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Tobin</span> Irish academic, researcher and author

Desmond John Tobin is an Irish academic, researcher and author. He is a Full Professor of Dermatological Science at University College Dublin and the Director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology. He was Chair of British Society for Investigative Dermatology from 2018 to 2020. Tobin is a fellow of The Royal College of Pathologists, of the Higher Education Academy, of the Royal Society of Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, and of the Institute of Trichologists.

References

  1. ↑ "Her Bald Spot Spurred Scientific Breakthrough". New Jersey Monthly. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  2. ↑ "2011 Hall of Fame Inductee, Angela Christiano". Nutley Hall of Fame. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  3. ↑ "Dr. Angela Christiano DC'87 Elected to National Academy of Sciences | Douglass Residential College". douglass.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dreifus, Claudia (2010-12-27). "Living and Studying Alopecia". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  5. ↑ "Harnessing hair loss gene could improve cancer immunotherapy". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  6. ↑ Barshad, Amos. "Is the Age-Old Quest for a Baldness Cure Reaching Its End?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  7. ↑ Jernigan, Joy (2013-10-22). "New research shows promise for reversing baldness". CNBC. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  8. ↑ "From a mouse's back: hair restoration hope". Hartford Business Journal. October 22, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Grady, Denise (2013-10-21). "New Technique Holds Promise for Hair Growth". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  10. ↑ "Baldness cure a step closer with promising new treatment". www.medicalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  11. ↑ Fox, Maggie (2015-10-23). "Cancer drug could be baldness remedy, too". CNBC. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  12. ↑ "JAK inhibitor promotes hair growth in both men, women with androgenetic alopecia". www.healio.com. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  13. ↑ Feder, Shira (2019-07-03). "Scientists Have Uncovered a New Tool to Combat Baldness: a 3-D Printer". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  14. ↑ Hamblin, James (2019-07-25). "Soon There Will Be Unlimited Hair". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  15. ↑ "Researchers use 3D printing to combat hair loss". 3Dnatives. 2019-07-15. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  16. ↑ "2020 NAS Election". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
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