Alopecia Areata Samples for Research

Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, matched fresh frozen sera (serum),  plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with alopecia areata disease.

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from alopecia areata patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, the matched bio-fluids are collected from unique patients with alopecia areata and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery.

Alopecia Areata Overview

In fact, alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disease. It causes hair to fall out in small patches, which can be unnoticeable. Typically, it usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches.

Moreover, it occurs in males and females of all ages and races, but onset most often occurs in childhood. In fact, the condition can affect anyone regardless of age and gender. However, most cases occur before the age of 30. Furthermore, these patches may connect, and then become noticeable. Consequently, the condition develops when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.

Specifically, sudden hair loss may occur on the scalp. And in some cases, the eyebrows, eyelashes, and face, as well as other parts of the body. Additionally, it can also develop slowly and recur after years between instances.

Hair Loss

In terms of hair loss, the condition can result in total hair loss. Which is called alopecia universalis, and it can prevent hair from growing back. Ultimately, when hair does grow back, it’s possible for the hair to fall out again. Thus, the extent of hair loss and regrowth varies from person to person.”

Prevalence

According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). Approximately 6.8 million people in the United States.  And 147 million worldwide have or will develop alopecia areata at some point in their lives.

In alopecia areata disease, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked in groups by a person’s own immune system (white blood cells).

Consequently, this results in the arrest of the hair growth stage. As a result, these affected follicles become very small, drastically slow down production. And grow no hair visible above the surface for months or even years.

Moreover, the scalp is the most commonly affected area; however, the beard or any hair-bearing site can be affected alone or together with the scalp. For instance, some people develop only a few bare patches that regrow hair within a year.

Patchy Loss

On the other hand, in others, extensive patchy loss occurs, and in a few, all scalp hair is lost (referred to as alopecia totalis) or, in some cases, hair is lost from the entire scalp and body (referred to as alopecia universalis).

Nevertheless, no matter how widespread the hair loss may be, the hair follicles remain alive and are ready to resume normal hair production whenever they receive the appropriate signal. In all cases, hair regrowth may occur even without treatment and, importantly, even after many years.

Moreover, there’s currently no cure for alopecia areata. However, there are treatments that may help hair grow back more quickly and that can prevent future hair loss, as well as unique ways to cover up the hair loss.

Signs and Symptoms of Alopecia Areata

Most prominent symptoms of alopecia areata is patchy hair loss. Coin-sized patches of hair begin to fall out, mainly from the scalp. Any site of hair growth may be affected, though, including the beard and eyelashes.

The loss of hair can be sudden, developing in just a few days or over a period of a few weeks. There may be itching or burning in the area before hair loss. The hair follicles are not destroyed and so hair can re-grow if the inflammation of the follicles subsides. People who experience just a few patches of hair loss often have a spontaneous, full recovery without any form of treatment. About 30 percent of individuals who develop alopecia areata find that their condition either becomes more extensive or becomes a continuous cycle of hair loss and regrowth. About half of patients recover from alopecia areata within 1 year, but many will experience more than one episode. Around 10 percent of people will go on to develop alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis.

Alopecia areata can also affect the fingernails and toenails, and sometimes these changes are the first sign that the condition is developing. There are a number of small changes that can occur to nails:

  • Pinpoint dents appear
  • White spots and lines appear
  • Nails become rough
  • Nails lose their shine
  • Nails become thin and split

Causes of Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata disease occurs when white blood cells attack the cells in hair follicles, causing them to shrink and dramatically slow down hair production. It is unknown precisely what causes the body’s immune system to target hair follicles in this way. Researchers are not sure why these changes happen, it seems that genetics are involved as alopecia areata disease is more likely to develop in a patient who has a close family member with this disease. One in five patients with the disease has a family member who has also developed alopecia areata.

Other research has found that many patients with a family history of alopecia areata also have a personal or family history of other autoimmune disease, such as atopy, a disorder characterized by a tendency to be hyperallergic, thyroiditis, and vitiligo. Despite what many people think, there is very little scientific evidence to support the view that alopecia areata is caused by stress. Extreme cases of stress could potentially trigger the condition, but most recent research points toward a genetic cause.

Diagnosis of Alopecia Areata

Doctors are usually able to diagnose alopecia areata fairly easily by examining symptoms. They might look at the degree of hair loss and examine hairs from affected areas under a microscope. If, after an initial clinical examination, the doctor is not able to make a diagnosis, they can perform a skin biopsy. If they need to rule out other autoimmune disease, they might perform a blood test. As the symptoms of alopecia areata are so distinctive, making a diagnosis is usually quick and straightforward.

Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is, indeed a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Specifically, aamples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Moreover, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

Additionally, all our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In particular, critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Moreover, researchers find patient’s data extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Specifically, Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Therefore, please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

  • Firstly, Peripheral whole-blood
  • Secondly, Amniotic fluid
  • Third, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
  • Moreover, Sputum
  • Furthermore, Pleural effusion
  • Next, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
  • Also, Serum (sera)
  • Likewise, Plasma
  • In addition, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
  • For example, Saliva
  • Also, Buffy coat
  • Moreover, Urine
  • Furthermore, stool samples
  • Next, Aqueous humor
  • Likewise, Vitreous humor
  • Lastly, Kidney stones (renal calculi)
  • Finally, Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.

Moreover, we can also procure most human bio-specimens, furthermore; we offer special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols. Additionally you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

 

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