Spanish stem cell research brings the end of alopecia closer

A study by the Department of Dermatology at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid has become a beacon of hope for people who want to end or prevent their alopecia , according to an article published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy .

The combination of stem cells from body fat with an energizing molecule (like an "energy battery" for the stem cell itself), called adenosine triphosphate, is the key to the success of the research, led by Eduardo López Bran, head of Dermatology at the Madrid hospital.

For this specialist, the end of male and female pattern baldness is closer today, although it won't be completed for another five years, pending the next phases of clinical trials, human testing, and regulatory agency requirements. Specifically, what López Bran and his team have set out to achieve is the end of androgenetic alopecia, the most common type.

Those responsible for the research point out that it affects 80% of men and 30-50% of those over 50 , as well as 40% of women. It is a type of alopecia that, in men, is characterized by beginning in the frontal area of ​​the skull, the classic receding hairline, while in women the most common feature is a generalized thinning of the hair on the top of the head.

The culprit is the molecule dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which, when bound to the scalp, causes hair follicles to shrink, slowing their growth and making them thinner and therefore more vulnerable. The study focused on how to neutralize the effects of this molecule.

High efficiency

At the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid, they established a mechanism of action consisting of combining stem cells from adipose tissue, that is, body fat, and adenosine triphosphate. The combination stimulates hair regeneration . They then designed an experimental model in mice, which the researchers divided into two groups: those that were induced to lose hair using DHT, and those that were given a placebo.

While all of the first group managed to regrow their hair completely, those in the second group showed more complications, with only 40% achieving significant scalp regrowth (the rest experienced moderate regrowth). The result provided a fundamental conclusion for the continued research: administering DHT allowed for the study of androgenetic alopecia in mice.

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In an effort to restore hair, the researchers administered low doses of stem cells and adenosine triphosphate to male rodents. They found that the formula completely replenished hair in 50% of the mice in the study. In the other half, scalp recovery was "intense."

In females , to which the formula was applied in medium doses, repopulation was "total" in 50% of cases, "intense" in 40% and "poor" in the rest.