Promotive Effect of Minoxidil Combined with All-Trans Retinoic Acid (Tretinoin) on Human Hair Growth In Vitro

January 2007 in “ Journal of Korean Medical Science ”

Oh Joon Kwon, Hyun-Mi Pyo, Youn-Jin Oh, Ji Won Han, Se Rah Lee, Jin Wook Chung, Hee Chul Eun, Se Kyu Kim

minoxidil all-trans retinoic acid tretinoin hair growth dermal papilla cells anagen stage hair loss Rogaine ATRA

From the encyclopedia

Minoxidil →

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Tretinoin →

the gold standard retinoid in dermatology that's also helpful for hair regrowth alongside Minoxidil

Studysummary This study found that combining minoxidil with all-trans retinoic acid additively promoted hair growth in vitro by activating certain cell survival pathways and reducing apoptosis markers more effectively than minoxidil alone. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

A study from 16 years ago found that combining minoxidil and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) increased hair growth in vitro more than minoxidil alone. The combination also increased the expression of proteins related to hair growth, suggesting it could be a promising treatment for hair loss. The combination treatment enhanced hair growth more efficiently than minoxidil alone by increasing the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells and prolonging the anagen stage of hair growth. The study suggests that the combination of minoxidil and ATRA could be a potential treatment for hair loss.

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Research cited in this study

11 / 11 results

research Biphasic Effects of Minoxidil on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Normal Human Keratinocytes

34 citations , April 2009 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology”

This study found that Minoxidil had biphasic effects on normal human keratinocytes, stimulating proliferation at micromolar doses, but showing antiproliferative, pro-differentiative, and cytotoxic effects at millimolar concentrations.

research Effect of Minoxidil on Proliferation and Apoptosis in Dermal Papilla Cells of Human Hair Follicle

149 citations , March 2004 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

This study found that minoxidil stimulates hair follicle growth by promoting dermal papilla cell survival and activating ERK and Akt pathways, which leads to increased proliferation and reduced cell death.

research Minoxidil: Mechanisms of Action on Hair Growth

397 citations , February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This article reviews the mechanisms by which minoxidil stimulates hair growth and reports no new clinical findings.

research Retinoids And Hair Growth

19 citations , August 1998 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review explores the psychological and medical implications of hair loss, suggesting it may indicate a serious systemic disorder, but it does not present new research findings.

research Expression of the Bcl-2 Proto-Oncogene in the Cycling Adult Mouse Hair Follicle

122 citations , July 1994 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

research Effect of Retinoids on Follicular Cells

15 citations , July 1993 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

In a C3H mouse model, this study found that topical retinoids can significantly alter hair-cycle dynamics by prolonging the anagen phase and shortening the telogen phase, a reaction connected to increased cellular retinoic acid-binding protein levels.

research Effects of Cepharanthine and Minoxidil on Proliferation, Differentiation, and Keratinization of Cultured Cells from the Murine Hair Apparatus

23 citations , September 1992 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”

Cepharanthine and minoxidil promote cell growth and delay hair cell maturation.

research Dermal Papilla Cells from Human Hair Follicles Express mRNA for Retinoic Acid Receptors in Culture

9 citations , December 1991 in “Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences”

research Human Hair Growth In Vitro

385 citations , November 1990 in “Journal of Cell Science”

This study successfully grew and maintained human hair follicles in vitro, noting that TGF-β1 negatively affects growth, while EGF replicates hair-removal effects seen in animals.

research Influence of Tretinoin on the Percutaneous Absorption of Minoxidil from an Aqueous Topical Solution

30 citations , April 1990 in “Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics”

This study found that coadministering minoxidil with tretinoin cream increased minoxidil absorption nearly threefold in healthy males, attributed to increased stratum corneum permeability.

research Topical Tretinoin for Hair Growth Promotion

73 citations , October 1986 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that a combination of topical tretinoin and 0.5% minoxidil resulted in terminal hair regrowth in 66% of subjects with androgenetic alopecia over one year.