Targeting of CXXC5 by a Competing Peptide Stimulates Hair Regrowth and Wound-Induced Hair Neogenesis

The 2017 study found that the protein CXXC5, which negatively regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, was upregulated in balding human scalps and negatively impacted hair growth. In mice, the absence of CXXC5 accelerated hair regrowth, an effect enhanced by treatment with valproic acid (VPA), a Wnt/β-catenin pathway activator. The study also discovered that a peptide, PTD-DBM, which disrupts the interaction between CXXC5 and Dishevelled, stimulated hair regrowth and wound-induced hair follicle neogenesis. This suggests that targeting the interaction between CXXC5 and Dishevelled could be a potential treatment for hair loss. The study involved tissue samples from five male patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA).