A recent breakthrough by researchers from the University of Sheffield, England, and COMSATS University Pakistan may bring hope to the millions of men worldwide facing male pattern baldness.
Male pattern baldness is the leading cause of hair loss in men, affecting up to 50% of the global male population. This condition typically starts with a receding hairline or a bald spot on the top of the head, gradually progressing in a distinctive pattern.
The research team behind the latest study made an interesting discovery that a naturally occurring sugar in the human body, known as 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), could stimulate hair growth. Their promising mouse study revealed that this vital sugar, essential for numerous biological processes, has the potential to encourage hair regrowth, offering a new treatment strategy for tackling hair loss.
While investigating how 2dDR aids in wound healing by promoting new blood vessel formation, researchers noted that hair around the healing wounds grew more quickly than those that had not been treated. This discovery led them to test 2dDR on mice with testosterone-induced hair loss, where they found that the sugar not only encouraged the formation of new blood vessels but also stimulated hair regrowth.
The study results suggest that deoxy ribose sugar may be as effective at stimulating hair regrowth as Minoxidil, a commonly used hair loss treatment. The discovery gives a potential alternative approach to hair growth by utilizing a naturally occurring sugar.
"Male pattern baldness is such a common condition, affecting men all over the world, but at the moment there are only two FDA-licensed drugs to treat it. Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxy ribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth," Professor Sheila MacNeil, a researcher from the University of Sheffield said in a news release.
"The research we have done is very early stage, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation. This could offer another approach to treating this condition which can affect men's self-image and confidence," Professor MacNeil added.
"This pro-angiogenic deoxy ribose sugar is naturally occurring, inexpensive and stable and we have shown it can be delivered from a variety of carrier gels or dressings. This makes it an attractive candidate to explore further for treatment of hair loss in men," Professor Muhammed Yar from the COMSATS University Pakistan said.
