In 2024, researchers came across a possible fresh avenue for treating hereditary-patterned baldness, the leading cause of hair loss affecting men and women across the globe.
The discovery grew out of work on a naturally occurring sugar involved in building DNA: the deoxyribose component of deoxyribonucleic acid.
How deoxyribose entered hair-loss research
While investigating how these sugars support wound healing in mice when applied to the skin, scientists at the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University in Pakistan observed something unexpected: fur surrounding the injuries appeared to return more quickly than it did in untreated animals.
That observation prompted the team to dig deeper.
Deoxyribose gel and hereditary-patterned baldness: the mouse study
In research published in June 2024, the scientists studied male mice showing testosterone-driven hair loss. After removing fur from the animals’ backs, they applied a small daily amount of deoxyribose sugar gel to the exposed skin. Within weeks, the treated area showed what the authors described as “robust” regrowth, with long, thick individual hairs emerging.
The results were strong enough that the team concluded the deoxyribose gel performed on a par with minoxidil, the widely used topical hair-loss treatment often known by the brand name Rogaine.
“Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth,” said tissue engineer Sheila MacNeil from the University of Sheffield.
Hereditary-patterned baldness, also called androgenic alopecia, is a common, natural condition shaped by genetics, hormone levels, and ageing, and it tends to look different in males and females.
It affects up to 40 percent of the population, yet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has, to date, approved only two medicines for treating the disorder.
Where minoxidil and finasteride fit
Over-the-counter minoxidil may slow the progression of hair loss and help some regrowth, but it is not effective for everyone.
When minoxidil does not help, male patients may use finasteride (brand name Propecia), a prescription oral medicine that blocks the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. It has not yet been approved for female patients.
In around 80 to 90 percent of male patients, finasteride can reduce the rate of hair loss, but it must be taken continuously once started. Use of the drug has been linked to unwanted and sometimes serious side effects, including erectile dysfunction, testicular or breast pain, reduced libido, and depression.
“The treatment of androgenetic alopecia remains challenging,” MacNeil and her colleagues, led by biomaterial researcher Muhammad Anjum from COMSATS, write in their published paper.
What the researchers observed during the trial
Working together, the researchers created a biodegradable, non-toxic gel made from deoxyribose and tested it in mouse models of male-pattern baldness.
They also evaluated minoxidil in balding mice, and some animals received both the sugar gel and minoxidil.
Against mice treated with a gel that contained no medicine, those given the deoxyribose formulation began developing new hair follicles.
In mice with male pattern baldness, both minoxidil and the sugar gel produced 80 to 90 percent hair regrowth. Using the two treatments together, however, did not add much additional benefit.
Images captured at multiple points across the 20-day trial show the difference clearly.
The researchers do not yet know exactly how the deoxyribose gel leads to longer, thicker hair in mice. Even so, they reported more blood vessels and skin cells around the treated areas.
“The better the blood supply to the hair bulb, the larger its diameter and the more hair growth,” the researchers write.
Should the deoxyribose gel also work in humans, it could potentially be used for treating alopecia or for encouraging regrowth of hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows following chemotherapy.
“This is a badly under-researched area, and hence new approaches are needed,” write the authors.
So far, the experiments have been limited to male mice. Future studies may determine whether these natural sugars could also be helpful in female mice with testosterone-driven alopecia.
“The research we have done is very much early stage,” said MacNeil, “but the results are promising and warrant further investigation.”
The study was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology.
An earlier version of this article was first published in July 2024.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a Comment