P75 Neurotrophin Receptor Antagonist Retards Apoptosis-Driven Hair Follicle Involution (Catagen)

The study explored the effect of a p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) antagonist on hair follicle regression in mice. The antagonist was designed to block neurotrophin binding to p75NTR, aiming to prevent apoptosis and delay the catagen phase of the hair cycle. Using murine skin organ culture, the results indicated that the antagonist significantly delayed catagen in C57BL/6 mice skin biopsies by 15.9±2.6% on day 17 and 33±4.1% on day 18 after hair removal. It also counteracted the catagen-inducing effects of neurotrophins. The study concluded that the p75NTR antagonist could be a potential treatment for hair loss disorders associated with premature catagen, such as telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia, and alopecia areata.