Drug Discovery for Alopecia: Gone Today, Hair Tomorrow

    February 2015 in “ Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery
    Zenildo Santos, Pinar Avci, Michael R. Hamblin
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    TLDR Topical drugs and near-infrared light therapy show potential for treating alopecia.
    This document from 8 years ago discusses drug discovery efforts for different types of alopecia, including androgenic alopecia, alopecia areata, and chemotherapy-induced alopecia. The article covers the biology of hair follicles, stem cells, and in vitro/in vivo models for drug discovery. The document also discusses investigational drug therapies and non-drug therapies for alopecia, including low-level laser therapy, hair transplantation, and stem cell therapies. The article concludes that topical drug application is the preferred route for treatment and highlights the potential of near-infrared light therapy, specifically low-level laser therapy, as a treatment for all three forms of alopecia.
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