A man with a receding hairline. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The cure for male pattern baldness could already be in the human body.
The disease, which leads to gradual hair loss, affects up to 50% of men worldwide.
Researchers at the British University of Sheffield claim that the solution could lie in a sugar that occurs naturally in the human body.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, found that this sugar, known as 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), is involved in various biological processes in animals and humans and can stimulate hair growth in mice.
Scientists from Sheffield (UK) and COMSATS University (Pakistan) have examined the sugar The focus was on the researchers’ ability to support wound healing through the formation of new blood vessels.
The researchers noticed that the hair around the wounds appeared to grow faster than in untreated wounds.
The scientists then tested this on testosterone-controlled Hair loss in mice that is similar to the cause of male pattern baldness, according to a press release from the university.
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Even the application of a small dose of sugar caused new blood vessels to form, which stimulated hair growth.
The results suggest that the deoxyribose sugar could be as effective as Medicines against hair growthsaid the university.
Sheila MacNeil, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Tissue Engineering at the University of Sheffield, noted that more research into male pattern baldness would be beneficial.
“There are only two FDA-approved drugs for this condition at this time,” she wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“During our British-Pakistani collaboration, we unexpectedly discovered a small, naturally occurring sugar that stimulates the formation of new blood vessels. We were delighted to find that it not only stimulates wound healing, but also stimulates hair growth in an animal model.”
The sugar is “natural, inexpensive and stable,” says MacNeill, and can be administered in the form of an “easy-to-use gel,” which the researchers plan to investigate further in further studies.
Dr. John Whyte, WebMD’s chief medical officer in Washington, DCcalled the results of the study “fascinating” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“The effectiveness of this naturally occurring sugar suggests significant potential in the development of new treatments for hair loss,” said Whyte, who was not involved in the research.
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Current therapies “have been around for some time, they have limited effectiveness and can have side effects,” the doctor noted.
Since this research is still at an early stage, further investigations and Clinical trials Research will be needed to determine whether the sugar “can be safely and effectively developed into a viable treatment for male pattern baldness,” Whyte added.
“The public should view these results with cautious optimism,” he continued.
“The study gives hope for new natural treatments for hair loss, However, more research is needed before it can be considered a cure.”
New York dermatologist Brendan Camp MD also responded to the findings, telling Fox News Digital that there are limited treatment options for hair loss.
“A number of possible treatments have been studied, but none have been shown to be curative,” said Camp, who was not involved in the research.
“The current goal of alopecia treatment is to help patients keep their existing hair.”
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This study could ultimately lead to a new, effective therapy if future research is successful, he said.
“The drug in question, 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), is thought to improve hair growth by increasing the number of blood vessels,” he said.
“Although it may be effective in stimulating the growth of existing hair follicles, it seems unlikely that it will regrow follicles that have already disappeared.”
He added: “Although this treatment is promising, further studies are needed to confirm the reproducibility, efficacy and practical application of 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) as a treatment for alopecia.”
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