2024-07-30 03:05:55
This is hopeful news for those suffering from hair loss.
A simple sugar that occurs naturally in our bodies could be the key to treating male pattern baldness, which affects up to 50% of men worldwide, a study suggests.
A joint research team from the University of Sheffield in the UK and the University of Komsat in Pakistan has been studying a method to heal wounds using 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), a simple sugar naturally produced in the human body, for the past eight years, and have made an unexpected discovery.
Researchers found that when they applied this sugar to wounds in lab mice, the hair around the wounds grew faster than in untreated areas. Fascinated by this phenomenon, the researchers conducted further research. Using testosterone, they created conditions similar to male pattern baldness in mice. Then, when they applied a small amount of 2dDR (diosoxyribose sugar) to the bald areas, they confirmed that new blood vessels were created and hair grew back.
Sheila MacNeil, Emeritus Professor of Tissue Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: “Our research suggests that using the naturally occurring sugar deoxyribose may provide an answer to hair loss treatment by increasing blood supply to the hair follicle and thus promoting hair growth.”
According to research results published in the Science Citation Index (SCI)-level academic journal ‘Frontiers in Pharmacology,’ deoxyribose sugar is just as effective in hair regrowth as minoxidil, the active ingredient in existing hair loss treatments.
Professor Emeritus McNeil said: “Male pattern baldness is a very common condition that affects men worldwide, yet there are currently only two FDA-approved treatments. Our research suggests that the answer to hair loss treatment could be as simple as using the naturally occurring sugar deoxyribose to increase blood flow to hair follicles, thereby stimulating hair growth.”
The FDA has approved two drugs for hair loss treatment: minoxidil and finasteride. Minoxidil has been shown to slow hair loss and promote some regrowth, but it is not effective for all hair loss patients. Finasteride is approved for use only in men and has been shown to slow hair loss in 80-90% of men with hair loss. However, finasteride has been associated with side effects such as depression, erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, and testicular pain.
If deoxyribose sugar works in humans, it could be used not only to treat alopecia, but also to promote hair, eyelash and eyebrow regrowth after chemotherapy.
But for now, it’s just a possibility.
“Our research is very preliminary, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation,” said Professor Emeritus McNeill. “This may provide another approach to treating this condition which can affect men’s self-image and self-confidence.”
“We have shown that this angiogenesis-promoting deoxyribose sugar is naturally occurring, inexpensive, stable, and can be delivered via a variety of carrier gels or dressings. It is therefore an attractive candidate for further study in the treatment of male pattern baldness,” said Professor Muhammad Yar of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), Komsat University, Pakistan.
Reporter Park Hae-sik, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-07-30 03:05:55