Direct Hair Growth Promoting Effects of Mycophenolic Acid

The document reports on the effects of mycophenolic acid (MPA) on hair growth. MPA, known as a cell cycle inhibitor, has been shown to have a direct effect on hair follicles in vitro. Preliminary animal studies indicated that topical MPA treatment could shorten the telogen phase, which is the resting phase of the hair cycle, and stimulate the entry into the anagen phase, the active growth phase of hair. The study found that human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) responded to MPA treatment by upregulating hair growth factors and increasing the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and β-catenin, as well as upregulating direct β-catenin pathway targets such as Axin2 and Lef-1. These results suggest that MPA activates the β-catenin pathway, which could be important for developing new treatments for hair loss. However, the document does not provide specific data on the number of subjects involved in the human DPCs study, which is crucial for assessing the strength of the study.