Vanillic Acid Stimulates Anagen Signaling via the PI3K/Akt/β-Catenin Pathway in Dermal Papilla Cells

May 2020 in “ Biomolecules & Therapeutics ”

Jingoo Kang, Youn Kyung Choi, Young‐Sang Koh, Jin‐Won Hyun, Jihoon Kang, Kwang-Sik Lee, Chun Mong Lee, Eun-Sook Yoo, Hee‐Kyoung Kang

vanillic acid anagen phase PI3K/Akt/β-Catenin pathway dermal papilla cells cyclin D1 CDK6 Cdc2 p34 cell proliferation dihydrotestosterone DHT androgenetic alopecia hair growth phase DPCs cell cycle proteins hair loss alopecia

TLDR Vanillic acid from wheat bran may promote hair growth by activating certain cell pathways and reversing hormone-related hair loss.

In a 2020 study, researchers discovered that vanillic acid, a plant metabolite found in wheat bran, can stimulate hair growth by promoting the anagen phase of hair growth. This is achieved by activating the PI3K/Akt/β-Catenin pathway in dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which are essential for hair growth and regeneration. Vanillic acid was also found to increase the levels of cell-cycle proteins cyclin D1, CDK6, and Cdc2 p34, which are associated with cell proliferation. Furthermore, it was observed that vanillic acid could reverse the decreased level of β-catenin caused by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone implicated in the development of androgenetic alopecia. These findings suggest that vanillic acid could potentially be used as a treatment for hair loss conditions such as alopecia.

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