Screening of New Agents for Hair Growth and Their Mechanisms of Action

In 1996, researchers screened various synthesized compounds to identify new agents that could promote hair growth and combat alopecia. They developed an original tissue culture system using 4-week-old C3H mice for initial screening. Following this, they tested the hair regrowth activity of selected compounds on hair-clipped mice. Two compounds, KF19418 and KF15773, were identified as having hair growth promoting activity equal to or higher than minoxidil. KF19418, at a concentration of 10 μM, increased cell proliferation in the hair matrix cell culture system by four to six times compared to the control, indicating a direct effect on hair matrix cells. KF15773, however, did not show a promotive effect on cell growth in the same system, suggesting it may target different cells within the hair follicles.