Earlier this year, scientists discovered a potential new treatment for hereditary hair loss. The most common causes of hair loss in both men and women around the world.
It all started with the study It is based on sugars that occur naturally in the body and help form DNA.deoxyribosePart of deoxyribonucleic acid.
While studying how these sugars are produced, heal rat wounds Scientists from the University of Sheffield and Pakistan’s COMSATS University noticed that when applied topically, the fur around the lesions grew faster in mice than in untreated mice.
Intrigued, the team decided to investigate further.
In a study published in June, researchers took male mice suffering from testosterone-induced hair loss and removed the hair on their backs. Every day, researchers say a small amount of deoxyribose After applying the sugar gel to the exposed skin, within a few weeks the fur in this area showed “strong” regrowth, producing long, thick, individual hairs.
Researchers found that deoxyribose gel is highly effective and as effective as minoxidil, a topical treatment for hair loss commonly known by its brand name Rogaine.
“Our research shows that the answer to hair loss treatment could be as simple as using the naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to increase blood supply to hair follicles and promote hair growth. It suggests something.” said Sheila McNeil, a tissue engineer at the University of Sheffield.
hereditary alopecia, or androgenic alopeciaa natural condition caused by genetics, hormone levels, and aging, with symptoms varying in men and women.
Impact of failure up to 40% of the populationHowever, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has so far only approved two drugs to treat this condition.
Over-the-counter minoxidil can be effective in slowing hair loss and promoting some regrowth, but it may not be effective for everyone experiencing hair loss.
If minoxidil is ineffective, male patients can turn to finasteride (brand name Propecia), a prescription oral medication that maintains the flow of testosterone in the body. Not yet approved for use in female patients.
Finasteride can slow hair loss in about an hour 80-90% of male patientsHowever, once you start taking it, you need to continue taking it. This medicine can cause undesirable and sometimes serious symptoms. side effectserectile dysfunction, testicular or breast pain, low sex drive, depression, etc.
“Treatment of male pattern baldness remains difficult,” said McNeil and colleagues, led by COMSATS biomaterials researcher Muhammad Anjum. write In their published papers.
Together, the research team designed a biodegradable, non-toxic gel made from deoxyribose and applied the treatment to a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia.
Minoxidil was also tested in a hair loss mouse model, with some animals receiving both sugar gels. and Minoxidil is a good remedy.
Compared to mice given the gel without any drugs, the mice given the gel containing the deoxyribose sugar started sprouting new hair follicles.
Both minoxidil and sugar gel stimulated hair growth by 80-90% in mice with androgenetic alopecia. However, combining treatments did not make any further difference.
Photos were taken at various stages during the 20-day trial period, and the effects are clear.
Researchers don’t know why the deoxyribose gel stimulated the growth of longer, thicker hair in the mice, but the team did notice an increase in blood vessels and skin cells around the treated areas.
“The better the blood supply to the hair bulb, the larger the diameter of the hair bulb and the more hair grows,” the researchers said. write.
If deoxyribose gel proves effective in humans, it could potentially be used to treat alopecia or even stimulate hair, eyelash and eyebrow regrowth after chemotherapy.
“This area is not very well researched, so new approaches are needed.” write Authors.
Although the current experiments were conducted only on male mice, further research may find that the use of these natural sugars is also effective in female mice suffering from testosterone-induced hair loss.
“The research we’ve done is at a very early stage.” said “However, the results are promising and warrant further investigation,” McNeil said.
This study Frontiers of pharmacology.
An earlier version of this article was first published in July 2024.
