Fisetin Promotes Hair Growth by Augmenting TERT Expression

The study explored the hair growth-promoting effects of polyphenols, particularly fisetin, by examining their ability to activate telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression in human keratinocytes and in mice. Fisetin was found to significantly increase TERT expression and ß-catenin activity in human keratinocyte cells, which led to increased cell proliferation. In mice, fisetin treatment over 35 days resulted in the transition from the resting phase to the growth phase of hair follicles, enhancing hair growth. Histological analysis supported these findings, showing that hair follicles had entered the growth phase. The study concluded that fisetin and other polyphenols could promote hair growth by activating TERT transcription and ß-catenin signaling pathways, suggesting their potential as treatments for hair loss. The study's animal component was approved by the Ethics Committees on Animal Experimentation at Kyushu University and received partial funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS, Grant No. JPMJSA1506).