A research team from the Centre for Dermatology Research at the University of Manchester published a paper in the journal *PLOS Biology* regarding hair loss, titled: "Identifying novel strategies for treating human hair loss disorders: cyclosporine A suppresses the Wnt inhibitor, SFRP1, in the dermal papilla of human scalp hair follicles."
That long title might be a bit confusing at first glance, so let's take a closer look at this impressive study together.
First, let's talk about the journal *PLOS Biology*. With an impact factor of around 10, it is considered a reputable publication; this paper represents high-quality, high-impact research within the field of hair loss.
As for the study itself, the key takeaway is simple: the research team discovered that WAY-316606-a drug originally developed to treat osteoporosis-can promote healthier hair growth in *in vitro* cultures. However, this is currently just an observed phenomenon; clinical trials have not yet been conducted.
The story begins with Cyclosporine A. Since the 1980s, Cyclosporine A has been widely used to treat transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. However, it has long been associated with a side effect known as hypertrichosis-causing excessive hair growth in areas where hair typically does not grow.
The research team investigated the reasons behind this phenomenon. They discovered that Cyclosporine A promotes hair growth by reducing the expression of the protein SFRP1. Since SFRP1 normally inhibits the growth of various tissues-including hair-suppressing it allows hair growth to proceed.
Their research provides a new explanation for the mechanism by which the immunosuppressant Cyclosporine A affects hair.
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Furthermore, they found that the hair-growth-promoting mechanism of Cyclosporine A is entirely independent of its immunosuppressive function-a discovery that naturally suggests its potential use in treating androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness).
It was at this point that they identified WAY-316606. Originally intended for osteoporosis treatment, this drug shares a similar mechanism of action with Cyclosporine A-specifically, the ability to inhibit SFRP1 expression-and the team confirmed these findings through a series of *in vitro* experiments. In the summary, the authors state:
"We found that WAY-316606 promotes human hair growth *in vitro*, suggesting it may be a more effective hair growth promoter with the potential to treat human hair loss disorders."
At this point, you might think this drug is remarkable and that there is finally hope for treating male pattern baldness. However, the reality is not that simple. Amidst the barrage of media coverage, how many editors and reporters actually downloaded and carefully read the original paper? Most simply relied on hearsay or other people's reports, adding their own sensationalist spin to proclaim: "Research finds osteoporosis drug can treat hair loss."
But if you download and carefully examine the original paper, you will gain a clearer understanding. First, the experiments were conducted *in vitro* (outside the body). Second, the researchers used healthy hair follicles harvested from the back of the scalp (the occipital region). They found that treating these follicles with WAY-316606 caused the hair to grow slightly faster and healthier. In short, the study identified a new mechanism and factor involved in hair growth-one that plays a regulatory role-but what is its relationship to male pattern baldness? Could it actually promote the progression of male pattern baldness? Is this factor the cause of male pattern baldness? The answers to these questions remain uncertain.
Regarding the follicles used in the experiment-healthy ones extracted from the back of the scalp of patients with hair loss-here is the text from the paper:
"Male occipital hair follicles were obtained from patients undergoing hair transplant surgery at the Crown Cosma Clinic in Manchester, UK."
And what results were achieved in the study?
"WAY-316606 significantly increased hair shaft production (elongation rate) within two days of treatment-even faster than the rate of hair shaft elongation induced by CsA (Cyclosporine A) observed after several days."
In other words, when cultured *in vitro*, healthy hair follicles treated with WAY-316606 grew healthier and faster, and potentially experienced a prolonged growth phase.
To put it simply: applying WAY-316606 to the crown of the head is unlikely to be of much help for male pattern baldness! They haven't conducted such clinical trials. While scientific research is a rigorous endeavor, I personally find the "future outlook" section of scientific papers to be utter nonsense-or simply a way to engage in brazen hype. In that section, researchers can boldly claim, "Our study holds the potential to treat human hair loss!"-a statement that could arguably be included in the outlook section of virtually any paper on hair loss research.
To be fair, the study itself is highly significant; it sheds light on the mechanisms of hair growth and deepens our understanding of the process. However, it is nowhere near the stage of actually treating male-pattern baldness. You shouldn't take those tech news reports too seriously-let's just wait and see if they conduct clinical trials down the line.
In short, this research is valuable and contributes to the effort to solve the problem of hair loss, but there is still a long road ahead.
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