Male Pattern Baldness May Be Cured by New Drugs
Male pattern baldness may be cured by new drugs that could trigger faster hair growth, American researchers have discovered.
Scientists from the Columbia University Medical Center have identified new drugs that inhibit hair follicle enzymes that cause baldness. The results of the study could be used to come up with a substance that could restart hair growth, according to NDTV.
While studying the autoimmune disease alopecia areata, Angela Christiano's team at Columbia University discovered that Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors block the signals that trigger an autoimmune attack. They also found out that some of the subjects who took the oral form of the drug exhibited hair re-growth, NBC News reports.
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The mice that were given one of the two drugs grew new hair in just 10 days, but the control group did not grow any hair within the same time frame. In addition, the mice grew more hair when the drug was applied topically, the report adds.
Balding is caused by the stunted growth of hair follicles when they are stuck in the resting phase and are unable to move on to the growth phase of the hair cycle, the report explains.
Christiano and her colleagues discovered that the drugs ruxolitinib and tofacitinib — both JAK inhibitors — promote faster hair growth when applied topically. Both drugs bear the stamp of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ruxolinitib is used to treat blood diseases, while tofacitinib is a drug for rheumatoid arthritis.
The two new drugs are now being used in clinical trials aimed to come up with treatment for alopecia areata and plaque psoriasis — conditions that both cause hair loss. Although the results of the tests have been promising, Christiano said they still have not proven if ruxolinitib and tofacinitib can be used to treat male pattern baldness. The scientists still need to conduct more tests to confirm their theories.
