TGFβ Family Mimetic Peptide Promotes Proliferation of Human Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells and Hair Growth in C57BL/6 Mice

In the 2018 study, researchers found that a TGFβ mimetic peptide, DPS-1, promoted the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells in 3D culture and stimulated hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. DPS-1 was shown to increase the expression of hair growth-related genes and activate the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. Topical application of DPS-1 on mice resulted in increased hair follicle size and depth compared to controls. The findings suggest DPS-1 as a potential treatment for hair loss, although the number of mice used was not specified. The evidence was based on three independent experiments.