Treatment with Malva Verticillata Seed Extracts Alleviates Alopecia via Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

The study investigated the efficacy of Malva verticillata seed extracts, specifically linoleic acid (LA), in alleviating hair loss. The research found that LA treatment activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which led to an increase in dermal papilla cell (DPC) proliferation. This proliferation is associated with hair growth. LA treatment also increased the expression of various growth factors and significantly inhibited the expression of DKK-1, a protein induced by dihydrotestosterone, a hormone linked to hair loss. These findings suggest that LA treatment can induce hair growth and alleviate androgenic alopecia by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling in DPCs.