London, May 9: There is new hope for bald people to get back hair without going for transplantation as researchers have found that a drug originally developed to treat the bone disease, osteoporosis, stimulates hair growth. The drug works by targeting a protein that inhibits the development and growth of many tissues, including hair follicles, said the study. “The fact this new agent, which had never even been considered in a hair loss context, promotes human hair growth is exciting because of its translational potential: it could one day make a real difference to people who suffer from hair loss,” said project leader Nathan Hawkshaw from The University of Manchester in Britain.
The researchers found that the compound WAY-316606, which was originally developed to treat osteoporosis, has a dramatic stimulatory effect on human hair follicles. The researchers said that the few drugs which are currently available for treatment of male-pattern balding have moderate side effects and often produce disappointing hair regrowth results. The only other option available to patients in such a situation is hair transplantation surgery.
The researchers, therefore, sought to develop new ways to promote human hair growth. The approach was to first identify the molecular mechanisms of an old immunosuppressive drug, Cyclosporine A (CsA). Cyclosporine A has been commonly used since the 1980s as a crucial drug that suppresses transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. However, it often has severe side-effects, the least serious — but most interesting — of which is that it enhances cosmetically unwanted hair growth. (IANS)