For years, the world of hair growth technology and remedies for thinning and loss seemed to be at a standstill. However, in recent years, the options for rejuvenating struggling strands have widely expanded. From over-the-counter options to in-office treatments and even surgical procedures, dealing with hair loss is no longer a moot cause. A recent development from researchers at UCLA may have just opened another door for the ever-growing solutions to hair loss worldwide.
UCLA’s PP405 Molecule Could Revolutionize Hair Loss Treatments
This week, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles made a remarkable discovery of a new molecule that scientists are hopeful could transform hair loss treatments as we know it. The molecule—which they named PP405—was found to awaken long-slumbering, undamaged hair follicles, making way for new hair growth in the scalp. How does it work? Researchers isolated the PP405 molecule and applied a protein into the follicle stem cells that functions to keep the cells dormant. Then, by inhibiting the protein, the stem cells were woken up. While studies have been performed on the molecule for over a decade, the first human trials were conducted in 2023. The study found that applying PP405 as a topical medicine onto the scalp at bedtime for a week produced promising results for hair growth.
“At some point, most men and women suffer from thinning hair, or lose it after chemotherapy, infections or other stressors, and it affects them psychologically,” says UCLA researcher and professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, William Lowry. While the researchers are cautiously optimistic, the data itself was statistically significant. Even more excitingly, the clinical trials showed evidence of “terminal” hair growth, meaning full strand growth as opposed to just peach fuzz.
