Efficacy of Asymmetric siRNA Targeting Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia
May 2023
TLDR The conclusion is that a treatment called cp-asiAR can reduce hair loss and promote hair growth, making it a potential new therapy for androgenetic alopecia.
The study "ISID1343 - Efficacy of asymmetric siRNA targeting androgen receptor for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia" investigates the therapeutic potential of a cell penetrating, AR-targeting asymmetric small interfering RNA (asiRNA), named cp-asiAR, for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). AGA is caused by sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which binds to the androgen receptor (AR) leading to hair loss. The study used AGA mouse models and ex vivo human scalp tissues. The cp-asiAR was found to efficiently reduce AR mRNA and protein levels in mouse models and promoted hair growth in DHT-induced AGA mouse models. In ex vivo human hair follicle culture, the proportion of telogen hair decreased, and the mean hair bulb diameter increased in the cp-asiAR-treated group. In isolated primary human dermal papilla (DP) cells, AR expression was effectively downregulated by cp-asiAR. No significant toxicity was observed in DP cells after cp-asiAR treatment. The study concludes that cp-asiAR treatment effectively downregulated AR expression and prevented DHT-induced changes in the hair cycle and hair diameter, indicating its potential as a novel therapeutic option for AGA.
