Activation of Olfactory Receptor 2A4/7 by Cyclohexyl Salicylate Promotes Human Hair Follicle Growth
November 2022
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
olfactory receptor OR2A4/7 cyclohexyl salicylate hair follicle growth stem cell progeny expansion catagen development keratinocyte proliferation CD34+ cells CD71+ transit amplifying cells androgenetic alopecia telogen effluvium OR2A4/7 CHS hair growth stem cell expansion catagen phase keratinocyte growth CD34 cells CD71 cells male pattern baldness hair shedding
Studysummary This study found that stimulating the olfactory receptor OR2A4/7 with cyclohexyl salicylate promoted human hair growth and increased progeny of hair follicle epithelial stem cells in an ex vivo setting. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study demonstrates that the olfactory receptor OR2A4/7, when stimulated by the synthetic fragrance cyclohexyl salicylate (CHS), promotes hair growth and expands the progeny of hair follicle epithelial stem cells. This was observed in organ-cultured scalp hair follicles, where treatment with CHS resulted in delayed catagen development and increased keratinocyte proliferation. Notably, the number of CD34+ cells and CD71+ transit amplifying cells, which are reduced in androgenetic alopecia, significantly increased. These findings suggest that CHS could be explored as a potential treatment for hair loss disorders associated with telogen effluvium and/or reduced hair follicle stem cell progeny expansion.
