Hair regrowth trial results show promise with stem-cell topical solution
A stem-cell-based topical treatment has been found to regrow hair in both male and female subjects with age-related baldness – at least half of men and women over the age of 50 deals with some form of hair loss, commonly known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA). This can be seen in a receding hairline to more general hair thinning. Researchers from Pusan National University (PNU) in South Korea used adipose (fat) tissue‐derived stem cells (ADSCs), which have been found to secrete a number of growth hormones vital to hair development, for this treatment.
PNU’s small, double-blinded trial gathered 38 subjects, nine of whom were women. Half received the ADSC-CE topical solution and half received a placebo, with directions to apply the solution to the scalp twice a day for 16 weeks.
Afterwards, the researchers found mean hair density in the intervention group had increased by 28.1% compared to 7.1% in the control group; while mean hair thickness increased 14.2% for those using the active solution, compared to 6.3% for those using the placebo.
“ADSCs can promote hair growth in both men and women with alopecia. However, no randomised, placebo-controlled trial in humans has explored the effects and safety of adipose-derived stem cell constituent extract (ADSC-CE) in AGA,” explains Sang Yeoup Lee, from PNU.
While the previous trials often used injectable techniques that would potentially require frequent visits to a clinical environment, the novel ADSC-CE topical solution developed in the latest research is likely as effective and a much easier treatment method.
“The next step should be to conduct similar studies with large and diverse populations in order to confirm the beneficial effects of ADSC-CE on hair growth and elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the action of ADSC-CE in humans,” concludes Lee.
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