It’s never long before a miraculous cure for hair loss is reported as being found. However, the most recent discovery made by a group of Dutch scientists does appear to be very promising.
The scientists have discovered a new chemical which has the potential to not only stop hair loss in its tracks, but regrow the hair too. So, what is this chemical and how exactly does it work?
Peptide therapy – A potential cure for hair loss?
During a trial conducted on mice, Dutch scientists discovered a peptide compound was successful at re-growing missing fur. Some mice, which had lost all of their fur, experienced full regrowth in just 10 days.
It works by targeting and eliminating damaged cells from the body. These naturally occur as you age and they’re commonly referred to in the medical world as senescent cells. Once these cells are damaged, it naturally then reduces liver and kidney toxicity. The mice were also given chemotherapy drugs to place additional pressure onto their bodies.
What was interesting about the results, was that after hair regrowth, within two weeks the mice were also much fitter and their kidney function had improved.
Could it work?
It’s possible this modified peptide treatment could work on humans, but at the moment it’s simply unclear. Mice are not genetically the same as humans, so it’s difficult to tell whether biologically, the treatment would have the same effects on humans.
Further testing will need to be carried out to see whether it could eventually become a mainstream hair loss treatment option. The scientists are hoping to turn it into a pill which would be extremely easy to take.
There’s actually been a few similar discoveries made recently, such as the effectiveness of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of hair loss. It’s an exciting time for hair loss research, though unfortunately it will take time for these potential treatments to hit the market. Some of the drugs that have been marked as promising in the treatment of hair loss have also shown some potential serious negative side effects, such as tofacitinib.
Overall, it is promising that this new peptide chemical has shown to regrow the fur on mice. However, much more research will need to be done and it’s likely to take years before the treatment is available. In the meantime, there are many different effective treatments on offer so it’s worth booking a consultation with a hair specialist if you’re concerned about hair loss.
