Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Dimeric Peptide Derivatives as Proliferation-Stimulating Agents in Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells

The study synthesized and evaluated dimeric peptide derivatives for their effects on the proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) in vitro. These derivatives stimulated HFDPC proliferation more effectively than the tripeptide Arg-His-Lys (AHK). Specifically, peptide No. 20 (Arg-Trp-Lys, AWK') significantly promoted the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and activated the mRNA expression of hair regeneration-related genes such as VEGF, FGF-2, and FGF-7. The findings suggest that dimeric peptide derivatives could be promising agents for hair regeneration and alopecia treatment, acting through ERK1/2 signaling without significant cytotoxicity.