Stimulation of Hair Growth by Small Molecules that Activate Autophagy
June 2019
in “Cell reports”
TLDR Certain small molecules can promote hair growth by activating a cellular cleanup process called autophagy.
The document reported that hair growth can be stimulated by activating autophagy using small molecules. The study found that metabolites α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and α-ketobutyrate (α-KB), as well as the drugs rapamycin and metformin, which affect mTOR and AMPK signaling pathways, can initiate the anagen phase and promote hair growth in quiescent (telogen) hair follicles. This effect was inhibited by autophagy blockers, indicating a direct link between autophagy and hair regeneration. The research also observed that autophagy naturally increases when hair follicles enter the anagen phase, and that oral administration of α-KB can prevent hair loss in aged mice. These findings suggest that pharmacologically inducing anagen in telogen hair follicles could have potential for treating hair loss.
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