- Researchers reversed hair loss in mice using combination of fat-derived stem cells & ATP, an energy molecule.
- All of the male mice grew back their coats. Half had full regrowth, while other half had intensive regrowth.
- Among females, a whopping 90% saw intense or complete hair revival.
Scientists may have inadvertently discovered a new treatment for androgenetic alopecia, a common form of hair loss in both men and women. Researchers at San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid have developed a potential cure that combines fat-tissue-derived stem cells and the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
A study published in Stem Cell Research and Therapy reported significant hair regrowth in mice following the treatment. All male mice experienced hair regrowth, with half achieving full regrowth and the other half intensive regrowth. Among female mice, 90% showed intense or complete hair revival.
Lead researcher Eduardo Lopez Bran explained that the method stimulates hair regeneration by combining the regenerative capacity of stem cells with the energy provided by ATP, favouring the recovery of hair follicles and promoting hair growth. While human trials are necessary, the results offer a promising step forward in addressing hair loss.
While the findings will need to be replicated in human trials, the results pave a promising way forward in the fight against hair loss.
"In the future, we will be able to offer new solutions that allow us to meet patients' expectations, allowing them access to new treatments that prioritize their well-being," Eduardo Lopez Bran told The New York Post.
It's an exciting development in an area where there's plenty of room for growth. While hair transplant surgery is on the rise, many people don't realize that it actually often takes several procedures to achieve the desired result.
"An alarming trend is patients who now go to perform a hair transplant by a physician who does not consult the patient about his or her hair loss nor is he actively involved in the surgery," Texas facial plastic surgeon and hair restoration expert Dr. Samuel Lam previously told The Post.
He noted that this troubling practice is "most rampant" in Turkey - where hair transplant surgery has exploded due to its relative affordability - but it is "also extremely prevalent in the US, unfortunately."
