Mice Used to Treat Human Hair Loss

Recently, a team of researchers at UCLA were studying a gastrointestinal disease when they may have accidentally stumbled upon a treatment for baldness. The team of researchers were testing a chemical compound on genetically altered mice, which causes the mice to lose their fur as they age. The mice who received this compound for five days began to grow full heads of fur in as little as three months. Researchers conducted this experiment multiple times, and each time the results were the same. Although discovered by accident, researchers remain optimistic that this finding may actually cause toupees and hair plugs to become a thing of the past.

According to the report published in "PLoS One", researchers were treating the mice with five daily injections of a new anti-stress hormone, astressin-B. After three months, the genetically altered hairless mice had re-grown their fur. When given to younger mice, results concluded it prevented hair loss. The current results indicate, this is a 100 percent effective treatment for re-growing hair. Not only did this compound re-grow hair, but it also indicates positive results for the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system.

Researchers conclude this accidental discovery caused the mice's hair follicles to begin working again after the hormone was introduced. With these results, researchers remain optimistic this finding will result in a treatment for pattern baldness, alopecia and even hair loss due to chemotherapy. To further these results, researchers are working on pin pointing which cells are affected by the hormone to find out how this anti-stress hormone is re-growing hair.

As reported to Popular Science, Million Mulugeta, an adjunct professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA states, "This could open new venues to treat hair loss in humans through the modulation of the stress hormone receptors, particularly hair loss related to chronic stress and aging."

While these results remain promising, not all in the dermatology and hair loss community are convinced of these finding. Skeptics say, more than likely, this would only be a treatment option for those with stress related hair loss and not a treatment option for those with genetic baldness.

Although these results are promising, more research needs to be conducted to determine if this treatment is suitable for humans and if the same results are produce when used in humans. While more research is still needed, many are remaining hopeful this will be a legitimate treatment for human hair loss.

References:

"Researchers Stumble on Possible Hair Loss Treatment" MyFoxPhoenix
"Baldness Cure a Step Closer" HuffingtonPost
"Researching Stress" Popular Science