Researchers from England and Germany find some new genetic links to male pattern baldness.

Felix F. Brockschmidt, who is one of the authors of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bonn, says: “This one is the second link to the kind of hair loss that a lot of men and women have to face with increasing age.” The study has been published online in the journal Nature Genetics Oct.12 issue.

“The first gene that we know about is found on the X chromosome and it is considered the most important for hair loss (alopecia) and the new locus that have just found would be the second most important,” Brockschmidt said.

“The findings would pave a new better way for genetic tests to single out men who may suffer hair loss as they age. The X chromosomes locus screening will prove helpful to show the risk of male pattern baldness in certain men.” He addedBrockschmidt admitted: “It’s another story that something can be done to avoid hair loss in the people who have gene variants.” Glaxo SmithKline (a pharmaceutical company) will finance one of the new studies in part .The company may seek commercial benefit from its support. Another small company has already started marketing a $149 genetic screening test for this purpose.

This new gene locus is found on chromosome 20. Men as well as women have two copies of chromosome 20 that is inherited from both parents.