| New Active Substance against Hair Loss – Hair loss is a real burden for many people. Up to 50 per cent of all men are affected. So far, there are few effective remedies to combat it. An active ingredient could solve the problem of hereditary baldness. Researchers at the University of Sheffield and Comsats University in Pakistan discovered this by chance while researching wound healing agents. The compound in question is 2-deoxy-D-ribose, a naturally occurring sugar in the body that also helps to build DNA. As a component of DNA, 2-deoxyribose derivatives have an important role in biology.1 The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule, which is the main repository of genetic information in life, consists of a long chain of deoxyribose-containing units called nucleotides, linked via phosphate groups. When investigating the wound healing effect of this sugar, the researchers found that the fur next to the wounds grew back much faster in mice treated with it than in untreated mice. This active ingredient could form the basis for an inexpensive and effective therapy for those affected by genetic hair loss. It is also conceivable that it could be used to stimulate and accelerate hair, eyelash and eyebrow growth after chemotherapy. Together with the biocatalysis specialist CASCAT GmbH, the Swiss Institute of Longevity is investigating possible ways of producing 2-deoxy-D-ribose cost-effectively. The aim is to achieve a price of less than 100 euros for one kg of the active ingredient. Suitable industrial partners are currently being sought for the evaluation and subsequent realisation. 1 Anjum Muhammad Awais , Zulfiqar Saima , Chaudhary Aqif Anwar , Rehman Ihtesham Ur , Bullock Anthony J. , Yar Muhammad , MacNeil Sheila, Stimulation of hair regrowth in an animal model of androgenic alopecia using 2-deoxy-D-ribose, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Volume 14, 2024, doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1370833 |
