No more concerns about side effects! DGIST develops the world’s first next-generation hair loss therapeutic agent safe for both men and women
DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)
The research team led by Prof. Cheil Moon and Prof. Soyeon Kim from the Department of Brain Sciences at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee), together with Prof. Chang-Hun Lee from the Department of New Biology, has developed a novel peptide (MLPH) that promotes hair growth without the side effects of existing drugs, using computational modeling. This achievement, accomplished through a joint research project led by Prof. Young Kwan Sung and Dr. Mihee Kwak from Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, is regarded as opening a new horizon for next-generation hair loss therapeutics that are safe for both men and women.
□ Currently, the only hair loss therapeutic agents approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are “minoxidil” and “finasteride.” However, topical minoxidil can cause skin irritation. At the same time, oral finasteride may induce sexual dysfunction in men due to its mechanism of regulating male hormones, and is contraindicated in women of childbearing age, which are critical limitations. Therefore, the development of a safe treatment for both men and women, free of side effects, is an urgent need.
□ In academia, it is a known fact that the hematopoietic hormone erythropoietin (EPO) promotes hair growth by binding to receptors on hair follicle cells. However, systemic administration for the treatment of hair loss leads to serious hematological side effects, such as excessive red blood cell production, making it unsuitable as a therapeutic agent.
□ To tackle these limitations, the research team adopted a structure-based design technique using advanced computational modeling. By excluding the regions of the EPO protein structure responsible for side effects and precisely extracting and optimizing only the active region that binds to hair follicle cell receptors and induces hair growth, they independently designed a novel peptide, “MLPH.”
□ The research team confirmed through in vivo experiments using human hair follicle tissues and mice that the MLPH peptide significantly increased the secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a key factor in hair growth. Notably, administration of MLPH in mice successfully converted the telogen (resting) phase—during which hair growth ceases—into the anagen (growth) phase, demonstrating hair growth effects comparable to those of the existing treatment, minoxidil. At the same time, they experimentally demonstrated that it did not induce hematopoietic side effects, such as increased red blood cell production.
□ Approximately 1 billion individuals are affected by hair loss worldwide (around 10 million Koreans). According to a global market research firm, the worldwide hair loss treatment market is projected to reach approximately KRW 58 trillion by 2028. The foundational technology developed in this study is expected to serve as a basis for the development of innovative new drugs that will generate substantial economic ripple effects.
□ “The MLPH peptide developed in this study is a safe, mechanism-based therapeutic agent that can overcome the hormone-related side effects or gender limitations of existing drugs,” stated Prof. Cheil Moon of the Department of Brain Sciences at DGIST. “It is expected to provide a new therapeutic alternative without concerns about side effects for the 1 billion people worldwide affected by hair loss; furthermore, it is expected to generate significant economic value in the global hair loss treatment market, which will reach KRW 58 trillion.”
□ This study was supported by the “Priority Research Centers Program,” funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the “Health and Medical Technology R&D Program” and the “Innovative Growth Skin Health-Based Technology Development Project,” funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. The research was conducted jointly by DGIST (Prof. Cheil Moon and Prof. Soyeon Kim of the Department of Brain Sciences; Prof. Chang-Hun Lee of the Department of New Biology) and Kyungpook National University School of Medicine (Prof. Young Kwan Sung and Dr. Mihee Kwak). The research findings (first author Dr. Mihee Kwak; co-corresponding authors Prof. Cheil Moon and Prof. Soyeon Kim) have been published in the internationally renowned pharmacology journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Journal
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Article Title
MLPH-mediated activation of dermal papilla IGF-1 signaling drives human hair shaft elongation and anagen induction
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