Korean scientists have developed a potential cure for baldness by growing new hair.
* they discovered that a protein called CXXC5 acts as negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway inside of a cell that is linked to follicle development and hair regeneration in adults.
* they created a biochemical material called PTD-DBM
PTD-DMB was applied to the bare skin of mice for a period of 28 days, and the researchers saw it led to the growth of new hair follicles. When valproic acid (used in the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraines) was applied alongside PTD-DMB, new hair growth among the mice was even faster.
Existing hair loss treatments don’t work for those who already lost hair because they only accelerate the speed of hair growth. They also have the side effects as it contains a substance inhibits testosterone.
The new drug candidate for hair loss has potentials that can address all these problems, according to the research team. Currently, the team is conducting experiments on animals to find out whether the new substance is toxic or not.
The newly developed substance will contribute to the development of a drug that not only treats hair loss but also regenerate damaged skin tissues.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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