Association Between Hair Proliferation and Flavonoid Silibinin in Human Dermal Papilla Cells

The study investigated the potential of silibinin, a compound derived from Silybum marianum, as a treatment for alopecia by examining its effects on human dermal papilla cells. The research demonstrated that silibinin increased the size of these cells and elevated AKT protein levels, which are associated with cell growth. Additionally, silibinin activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, crucial for hair proliferation, and upregulated key genes such as VCAN, FGF7, BMP2, and ALPL. These findings suggested that silibinin could be an effective therapeutic agent for promoting hair growth and treating hair loss conditions like alopecia.