Hair growth promoting was noticed as one of side effects of ICI 182,780, that was tested by North Carolina University investigators in laboratory experiments to block the production of estrogen.
Their reported in the October 29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that: Since "estrogen blocker proves safe for people, it could be used for hair loss caused by chemotherapy, male pattern baldness, or gradual thinning..."
Dr. Robert C. Smart, associate professor of molecular and cellular toxicology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh noted: "It's a novel finding, because a great deal of past research on hair loss has focused on androgens (male hormones), but not estrogens".
In a ource of their research, hair stopped growing on the shaved skin of mice treated with a biologically active form of estrogen -- 17-beta estradiol. But, when the researchers applied an estrogen blocker - ICI 182,780 just twice, 1 week later hair growth resterted.
"By two weeks, the visible hair growth on treated mice was about the same as on mice who had never been shaved, while mice that were not treated with the compound grew no hair". "Our findings indicate that an estrogen-receptor pathway in specific cells of the mice's hair follicles somehow acts as a switch, essentially turning on and off hair growth".
Now it is known, that an estrogen receptor pathway is located in the nucleus of the dermal papilla cell at the base of the hair follicle. It is not known, if estrogen-blocker treatments will work on humans.
Dr. Smart hopes, that they will obtaing similar effect on humans.
Now, University's office of technology transfer has applied to patent the use of estrogen blockers for treating hair loss and promoting hair growth. That patent application is aimed to protect the use of estrogen blockers for hair loss. According to Dr. Smart estimations, it could take 5 years or more before testing is completed and the treatments become available commercially. Based on: Reuters article
