Amy Dahnke
Contributor
Sugars that occur naturally in the body may be as effective as prescription drugs in treating a common hair loss condition that affects both men and women, a recent animal study found.
“We found that[the naturally occurring sugar 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR)]may be as effective as the FDA-approved drug minoxidil,” the researchers wrote.
A study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that this isomer (sugar) is responsible for the effects of minoxidil, one of only two drugs currently approved to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). I found it to be just as effective. Excessive testosterone levels can cause this condition, forming compounds that inhibit hair growth and cause hair loss. It can affect both men and women.
Administration of 2dDR cured 80% to 90% of male mice with androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenic alopecia is the most common hair loss condition worldwide. By age 50, 50% of Asian men are affected, and by age 70, 80% of white men and 40% of white women are affected.
There are only two drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and both have side effects.
The study authors said 2dDR likely works by increasing blood flow in the tissues that support hair follicles and promoting hair regrowth.
naturally occurring sugar
The sugar 2dDR occurs naturally in the body as a component of DNA and helps form the deoxyribose moiety of deoxyribonucleic acid.
In this study, the researchers tested the 2dDR hydrogel in mice that were injected with hormones that induce hair loss. Researchers theorized that sugar would increase the activity of a protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor. VEGF is responsible for the development of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis is essential for hair growth because blood vessels supply nutrients and oxygen to skin cells and hair bulbs. Decreased blood flow usually causes hair to become less voluminous and thinner.
Hair follicle growth has three stages: anagen, telogen, and catagen. 2dDR is especially useful during the growing season. During the anagen phase, the hair follicle grows in length, the hair shaft thickens, and hair density increases.
During the telogen and catagen phases, the length of the hair follicle decreases, the hair shaft thins, and hair loss typically occurs. The research team found that mice treated with 2dDR had a higher anagen ratio compared to controls that received no treatment or received minoxidil, indicating more hair growth than hair loss. .
Researchers found that this gel affects hair in a variety of ways, including increasing hair and hair follicle length, hair shaft diameter, hair follicle density and diameter, area covered by the hair bulb, and increased number of blood vessels. It has been found to stimulate regrowth. 2dDR hydrogel was as effective as FDA-approved minoxidil in these parameters.
“This study demonstrates the positive effects of 2dDR on hair regeneration in this animal model,” the researchers wrote in the study.
During the study, the research team did not observe any side effects commonly seen with minoxidil or another FDA-approved drug, finasteride. Side effects of finasteride include decreased sex drive, and minoxidil has been associated with acute anterior septal infarction, heart attack, loss of appetite, contact dermatitis, skin rash or inflammation, and skin itching.
Possible treatments
Because 2dDR hydrogel has not yet caused any side effects, the research team notes that 2dDR hydrogel could potentially be used to treat patients undergoing cancer treatment, and as an option for other causes of hair loss, including chemotherapy. He said it could become.
“Cancer treatment can result in baldness or loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, which can expose patients to significant social distress,” the researchers wrote.
He added: “This is a relatively under-researched area, so new approaches are needed.”
