United States: Scientists from the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University have found that a sugar in our bodies, 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), might help treat hair loss. In their study, they discovered that this sugar could help mice grow back their hair and heal wounds by forming new blood vessels. This exciting research could lead to new treatments for hair loss!
The researchers have already noticed that hair around the wounds and they also appeared to grow more quickly compared to untreated wounds.
Encouraging Results in Animal Models
The scientists when tested this on the testosterone-driven loss in mice which is the similar to the cause of male pattern baldness, according to a university press release.
When they applied just a very small dose of the sugar and the new blood vessels were formed which is leading the hair regrowth.
The findings suggest that the deoxy ribose sugar could be as effective as hair regrowth drugs, according to the university.
Potential for New Treatments
Sheila MacNeil, PhD, emeritus professor of tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield, noted that male pattern baldness could benefit from more research.
“There are only two FDA-approved drugs for this condition at present,” she wrote in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
“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.”
Expert Opinions and Future Research
The sugar is very “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.
Dr. John Whyte, WebMD’s chief medical officer in Washington DC called the study findings “intriguing in a conversation with the fox news digital.
“This naturally occurring sugar’s effectiveness indicates significant potential in developing new hair loss treatments, “said Whyte who was not involved in the research.
Looking Ahead
Recent therapies have been around for a while and have limited effectiveness and can have side effects,” The doctor said.
Given that this is the research is till in the early stages and further investigation and the clinical trials will be mandatory to determine whether the sugar can be safely and effectively developed into a viable cure for male pattern baldness said by Whyte.
Also people nowadays want to go for something natural treatments for the hair loss but more research is needed before it can be considered as cure.
He added, “While promising, this treatment requires additional studies to confirm the reproducibility, efficacy and real-world application of 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) as a treatment for alopecia.”