Minoxidil May Suppress Androgen Receptor-Related Functions

April 2014 in “ Oncotarget ”

Cheng-Lung Hsu, Jai-Shin Liu, An-Chi Lin, Chih-Hsun Yang, Wen-Hung Chung, Wen-guey Wu

TLDR Minoxidil can reduce functions related to androgen receptors.

The 2014 study investigated the effects of Minoxidil, a common treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), on androgen receptor (AR)-related functions. Contrary to previous studies, the researchers found that Minoxidil does affect AR-related functions. Specifically, Minoxidil was found to suppress AR transactivation, target gene expression, and the growth of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells. It also interfered with peptide-AR interactions and disrupted AR N- and C-terminal interactions, which are necessary for full transcriptional activity of the AR. Furthermore, Minoxidil was found to decrease AR stability. The study concluded that Minoxidil can suppress AR-related functions, including AR transcription and AR-related cell growth, suggesting that the mechanism of action of Minoxidil may include a decrease in AR stability.

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