The cure for male pattern baldness could already be in the human body. A small dose of deoxy ribose sugar led to hair regrowth in mice, according to UK researchers.
The condition, which causes gradual hair loss, affects up to 50% of men worldwide.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. claim the fix might be found in sugar that’s naturally present in the human body. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, revealed that this sugar, known as 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), is involved in various biological processes in animals and humans and can stimulate hair regrowth in mice.
Scientists from U.K. Sheffield and COMSATS University Pakistan have studied sugar for the past eight years, focusing on its ability to help heal wounds by forming new blood vessels.
The researchers noticed that hair around the wounds also appeared to grow more quickly compared to untreated wounds. The scientists then tested this on testosterone-driven hair loss in mice, which is similar to the cause of male pattern baldness, according to a university press release. When they applied just a small dose of the sugar, new blood vessels were formed, leading to hair regrowth.
The findings suggest that the deoxy ribose sugar could be as effective as hair regrowth drugs, according to the university.
Our U.K./Pakistan collaboration unexpectedly turned up a small, naturally occurring sugar that stimulates new blood vessel formation, and we were delighted to discover that it not only stimulates wound healing but [also] stimulates hair growth in an animal model."
The sugar is "natural, inexpensive and stable," MacNeill noted and can be delivered in an "easy to apply gel," which the researchers plan to explore in further research.
This naturally occurring sugar's effectiveness indicates significant potential in developing new hair loss treatments," said Whyte, who was not involved in the research.
Current therapies "have been around for a while, have limited effectiveness, and can have side effects," the doctor noted. Given that this research is still in the early stages, further investigation and clinical trials will be necessary to determine whether the sugar can be "safely and effectively developed into a viable cure for male pattern baldness," Whyte added.
The public should view these results cautiously," he went on. The study provides hope for new natural treatments for hair loss, but more research is required before it can be considered a cure."
Blog by: Angelica Stabile on August 16, 2024 https://www.foxnews.com/health/cure-male-pattern-baldness-sugar-stored-bodies-study-claims.
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