Potential baldness cure could hit the shelves in 2 years

[hairtodaygonetmrw2]

Saw this on reddit today. Being perceived as a potential baldness cure by blocking a particular enzyme that is responsible for the follicle stopping growth.

Edited September 2, 2012 by Future_HT_Doc
removed outside link.

[BadBeat]

One time!!!!

[Spanker]

What subreddit was this in?

[Shampoo]

This sounds good.......

 

"He said the finding raised the possibility of not only stopping hair loss,

but of bald men also being able to regrow full heads of hair"

[Blake Bloxham]

Apparently, reducing prostaglandins and the enzymes responsible for producing prostaglandins on the scalp will be important in the future of hair restoration. However, I personally believe it will be another "dog in the fight," akin to minoxidil and finasteride; but I'm not sure hailing it as a "hair loss cure" is fair.

 

However, I look forward to seeing further research and actual product development.

[hairtodaygonetmrw2]

Agreed future ht doc.

 

This was found on the /r/science/ subreddit.

 

I think a hair loss cure will be comprised of many steps and levels until we reach the scientific knowledge to actually combat it in a single drug. Right now we use finasteride, minoxidil and hair transplants to achieve a satisfactory approach, but most of that is reactive not proactive.

 

We need further advancement, like this here, to take us into the proactive fight and really give us follically challenged individuals a fair chance!

[bill283]

Why did you remove the link? I thought The Telegraph was fairly reputable. Although, I'm not sure of that, and I noticed what one poster pointed out was true: nothing in the article itself mentions the two years that the title claims.

[Bobilero]

Even if its an alternative to Finasteride without the side effects and effects on other functions. Im sure everyone will be happy to welcome that.

[Blake Bloxham]

Why did you remove the link? I thought The Telegraph was fairly reputable. Although, I'm not sure of that, and I noticed what one poster pointed out was true: nothing in the article itself mentions the two years that the title claims.

 

Outside links are a violation of our terms of service and not hosted on the forums. It has nothing to do with the credibility of the article itself.

[trapps99]

heres a thought.....

if a cure does come out that makes all dormant hair follicles regrow hair, does that mean the areas that have been trnsplanted will become twice as thick? Would it affect transplanted hairs if the old follicles start to grow??

[Spanker]

I think it will become almost twice as thin, but you are likely to have lost some follicles due to transecting.

[boulala]

there was a little thing on channel 10 news in austraila on this a month back, with a few interviews, i was meaning to come here to start this thread but its already been done.

 

here is a little info that i found on the topic.

 

'In August 2012, Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania announced that they had discovered an enzyme which caused baldness. They found that the enzyme Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) was found to be present on the scalp of balding men at far higher levels than normal, preventing hair follicles from maturing and therefore stopping them from working and growing hair. Dr George Cotsarelis and his dermatological team at the University say that they are in talks with several pharmaceutical companies about developing treatments which could be available in two years.'

 

it is all very exciting. if this works a lot of hair transplant surgeons will be out of a job.

[pakid21]

anyone know where to get updated info on any products/drugs being tested to block pgd2

[TomTom33]

I do not believe any company is testing it at this time.ugh

[unfairhair]

I dont know about testing via the scientific method, but has anyone tried or know of anyone who tried this: PSI NEOSH 101

 

I read of some people getting excellent results but loosing access to supply shortly thereafter.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Future_HT_Doc
outside link removed

[DL]

I came across a few forums one being a german forum and apparently some hair loss sufferers will not wait for this new medicine to hit shelves but rather are experimenting to make topical solution of cetirizine, an anti-histamine agent applying on the balding areas.

 

Few research articles have claimed it inhibits the production of PGD2, the prostaglandins responsible for hair loss while increases the level of PGE2, the catalyst for hair growth. Cetirizine is preferred to corticosteroid as it does not contribute to skin/scalp thinning.

 

The tablets are relatively cheap and some claimed growth of vellus hair in as little as 1.5 months, and majority reporting a complete stop of scalp itch. Cetirizine stops inflammation on hair follicles.

 

Well only time and further research will tell how effective it is.

[TomTom33]

Thanks DL. Can you let us know if you end up finding pics of successful Cetirizine users?

[Blake Bloxham]

Hmm ... from a biochemical standpoint, I'm having a hard time deciphering how an anti-histamine would decrease the production of a prostglandin.

 

Histamine is an element that acts two different ways in the body: In one set of gastric cells, it increases the amount of acid released into the stomach, and in another set of inflammatory cells (called mast cells) it regulates a degranulation process and leads to an allergic like inflammation.

 

Although certain anti-inflammatory elements like Ibprofen and other "NSAIDs" (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can decrease levels of prostaglandins, these block enzymes that, to my knowledge, don't require histamine for function.

 

Unless I'm missing something (which could easily be a possibility - hahah), this seems like it might be a stretch to me.

[DL]

This article may be useful in answering some of our questions.

Effect of cetirizine on mast cell-mediator release and cellular traffic during the cutaneous late-phase reaction.

 

Authors

 

Charlesworth EN, et al. Show all Journal

 

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1989 May;83(5):905-12.

Affiliation

 

Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, Md 21239.

 

Abstract

 

A new H1 antihistamine, cetirizine, was studied to determine its effects on mediators and cellular infiltration during the cutaneous late-phase response (LPR). Ten ragweed-allergic subjects, who had previously demonstrated a cutaneous LPR, were examined in a double-blind, crossover study. Either cetirizine, 20 mg, or placebo was administered orally once daily for 2 days before and the morning of placement of a skin chamber overlying an unroofed heat/suction-induced blister to which was added antigen or buffer. Skin test erythema was significantly reduced by cetirizine at 15 minutes, 2 hours, and 4 hours by 56%, 40%, and 39%, respectively (all, p less than or equal to 0.01), but by 6 and at 8 hours, the cutaneous erythema was not significantly lessened. Histamine release was not altered by cetirizine treatment, but prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) production, which peaked at 3 to 5 hours, was clearly reduced by cetirizine treatment, being lower at all time points during the reaction; this was significant by analysis of variance (p less than or equal to 0.04). The inhibition was most marked during the fifth hour of the reaction when there was a 50% suppression of the PGD2 level by cetirizine (0.193 ng/ml to 0.075 ng/ml [p less than or equal to 0.03]). The most dramatic effect of cetirizine was attenuation of the inflammatory cell migration into the chamber. Eosinophil infiltration was decreased by about 75% during hours 6, 7, and 8 (p less than or equal to 0.04), whereas the number of neutrophils was reduced by the same magnitude at the same times

 

 

Most improved results are seen with users applying cetirizine topically rather than ingesting orally.

 

I too wonder why this cheap OTC drugs can turn out to be a treatments for AGA, perhaps on its specific function on inhibiting only PGD2 and not other good prostaglandins i.e. PGE2 as what ibuprofen does in inhibiting all the prostaglandins.

 

Still too early to judge though. I had undergone ht 34 days ago by dr. pong in chiang mai and now I am taking finasteride and oral minoxidil daily. Went through some major shedding on my 3rd week post op and its stabilizing now.

 

I started applying topical cetirizine 2 days ago and it seems to help calming my scalp itch big time. My scalp itches even without applying minoxidil so you can imagine how big a relief it is.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Future_HT_Doc

[Blake Bloxham]

Thanks for sharing!

 

However, I wish the article was more a bit more current (1989 is far too old) and also described the mechanism a bit. Frankly, I'm still not certain, and I would review any sort of new treatment (especially one that's not overly proven) with a trusted physician.

[Dr Tom Walker]

IT is very interesting. There is an intimate link between histamine pathways and prostaglandin in many body systems such as the stomach and nose so why not the skin. In some cases they can have concentrated related antagonistic effects, meaning that large levels of one will block the ability of the other from binding to a receptor and having its effect.

[Blake Bloxham]

Again, I understand having low levels of prostaglandins with the presence of histamine in the stomach, but I'm still not sure this will translate to decreased levels in the scalp or a viable cure based upon the PGD2 research.

 

Oh well! I hope I'm wrong!

 

Thanks for your input, Dr. Tom.

[DL]

Cetirizine does not alter the release of histamine but inhibits the production of pgd2 which is responsible for causing inflammatory. And the amount of this very pgd2 is found to be 3 times higher residing at the balding scalp as compares to the non balding areas.

 

Scalp inflammation caused by overexpression of pgd2 may lead to excess production of sebum and scalp itch and eventually hair loss.

 

Inhibition of pgd2 tends to ameliorate sebaceous gland hyperplasia.

 

Thus can pgd2 inhibitor contribute to better hair growth if one's baldness is the result of over accumulation of pgd2 in the scalp? And how does it relate to dht?

 

Any comment?

[Dr Tom Walker]

I think the main thing is that we do not have a clear understanding of hair loss and for each small piece of the puzzle we solve we realise more and more what we do not know.

 

Even the mechanism of action of minoxidil is debatable.

 

I think that this treatment could be effective in theory but we need some evidence in the form of a well controlled trial comparing its use to a placebo, as well as its use in combination with other treatments.

[DL]

Well said. With minoxidil being approved for hair loss without even knowing its exact mechanism apart from its acting on potassium channel I really hope the cure for baldness can soon be discovered one day.