Lactoferrin Promotes Hair Growth in Mice and Increases Dermal Papilla Cell Proliferation Through Erk/Akt and Wnt Signaling Pathways

The document from April 20, 2019, presents findings that bovine lactoferrin (bLF) can promote hair growth in mice and stimulate the proliferation of dermal papilla cells via the Erk/Akt and Wnt signaling pathways. The study showed that bLF enhances the phosphorylation of Erk and Akt, which are critical for cell growth, and increases the expression of Wnt signaling-related proteins, essential for hair follicle development. The effects of bLF were confirmed to be independent of the LRP1 receptor, suggesting other receptors are involved. The research indicates that bLF could be a promising treatment for hair loss, although the number of mice used in the study was not specified, which is a limitation in assessing the study's strength. The study was supported by the National Taiwan University and adhered to ethical standards.