Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group
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I found this while perusing the internet last night. Thought you guys might find this interesting!
http://fyiliving.com/mental-health/anxiety/mutant-gene-may-cause-compulsive-hair-pulling/
Apparently, mice can be cured of trichotillomania with a bone marrow transplant.
"OCD Researchers studying mutant genes in mice have found a link that someday could help people suffering from compulsive disorders such as trichotillomania, an obsessive disorder that leads to compulsive hair pulling. A team from the University of Utah School of Medicine discovered that mice with mutations in the Hoxb8 gene groomed themselves twice as much as other mice, causing hair loss and open skin lesions. The gene can be found in microglia, which is a type of immune cell that originates in bone marrow and migrates to the brain. To test their theory, the researchers performed bone marrow transplants on the over-grooming mice. Once the new microglia reached their brains, they displayed normal, noncompulsive grooming behavior. The researchers line of reasoning follows other research into microglia and immune system breakdowns that lead to the onset of an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The findings, however, could prove to be a valuable tool for neurobiological studies of OCD and shed more light on the roles of different microglia in the brain."
Sounds kind of drastic, but hey! I would be open to a bone marrow transplant if 1) I had the money, 2) they could tell me it's safe, and 3) they could tell me it would cure my pulling!
I think they need to get on finding the cure in humans. But at least mice have a cure!!!! One step at a time I suppose!
http://fyiliving.com/mental-health/anxiety/mutant-gene-may-cause-compulsive-hair-pulling/
Apparently, mice can be cured of trichotillomania with a bone marrow transplant.
"OCD Researchers studying mutant genes in mice have found a link that someday could help people suffering from compulsive disorders such as trichotillomania, an obsessive disorder that leads to compulsive hair pulling. A team from the University of Utah School of Medicine discovered that mice with mutations in the Hoxb8 gene groomed themselves twice as much as other mice, causing hair loss and open skin lesions. The gene can be found in microglia, which is a type of immune cell that originates in bone marrow and migrates to the brain. To test their theory, the researchers performed bone marrow transplants on the over-grooming mice. Once the new microglia reached their brains, they displayed normal, noncompulsive grooming behavior. The researchers line of reasoning follows other research into microglia and immune system breakdowns that lead to the onset of an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The findings, however, could prove to be a valuable tool for neurobiological studies of OCD and shed more light on the roles of different microglia in the brain."
Sounds kind of drastic, but hey! I would be open to a bone marrow transplant if 1) I had the money, 2) they could tell me it's safe, and 3) they could tell me it would cure my pulling!
I think they need to get on finding the cure in humans. But at least mice have a cure!!!! One step at a time I suppose!
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/05/ocd-your-immune-system-could-be-.html
This also clarifies some of the biology behind hair pulling in mice.
the second link i posted says "even if the microglia link holds in humans, expensive and risky bone marrow transplants are a poor alternative for current obsessive-compulsive disorder treatments, which include behavioral therapy and drugs such as fluoxetine (Prozac). Developing drugs to alter microglia activity could be a better option."
the last sentence sounds promising! because the drugs available now are really only helpful, but dont get rid of the problem completely because, if these researchers are correct, they don't actually treat the root of the problem. Kind of like cold medicine--they only treat the symptoms, not the actual problem. Maybe if one day they actually develop a drug to alter microglia activity, if that really is the root of the cause, we can see better results!
Are there any known trich patients who have had bone marrow transplants for other reasons? It'd definitely be interesting to see what effect it had on their pulling.