Health
Men going bald turn to 'new Botox' for hair loss treatment
The cure for baldness has long been a scientific enigma.
Yet advanced treatment options and hair-loss clinics have continued to emerge — and researchers are making progress on finding fixes for balding.
UCLA scientists recently alerted a “breakthrough” discovery involving a molecule named PP405 that can “waken long-slumbering but undamaged” hair follicles, according to a press release.
CURE FOR MEN’S HAIR LOSS COULD BE FOUND IN SUGAR STORED IN THE BODY, STUDY SUGGESTS
In a 2023 clinical trial, researchers found that applying PP405 as a topical medicine to the scalp at bedtime showed “statistically significant” results.
They believe this treatment will produce “full ‘terminal’ hair rather than the peach fuzz variety.”
PP405 is now in Phase 2 clinical trials for men and women with androgenetic alopecia, according to a researcher. (iStock)
William Lowry, Ph.D., a co-researcher at UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center, told Fox News Digital that although this research is promising, “cure is a strong word.”
“There are only two FDA-approved treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA, or pattern baldness): minoxidil and finasteride,” he said in an interview.
“They are both limited in efficacy and improve hair in only a portion of patients who take them.”
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Other treatment options include supplements, red light therapy, platelet-rich plasma injections and hair transplantation, Lowry said, although these have not undergone “definitive clinical trials and can be expensive, time-consuming and limited in efficacy.”
He added, “None of these are curative, meaning none of them permanently restore all hair lost due to AGA.”
Some treatment options for hair loss are “limited in efficacy,” said a co-researcher (not pictured) at UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center in LA. (iStock)
Lowry and his fellow researchers have discovered that hair follicle stem cells have a “distinct metabolism from other cells in the follicle.”
He said, “We found that promoting this metabolism can accelerate stem cell activation, which makes new hairs grow. We subsequently developed drugs that can drive this effect in various models of hair loss that reflect the multifactorial drivers of androgenetic alopecia in patients.”
HAIR LOSS AND PROSTATE MEDICATION COULD ALSO REDUCE HEART DISEASE RISK, STUDY FINDS
PP405 has become the leading candidate for hair-loss treatment as part of this new class of drugs.
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring a novel treatment option to patients with hair loss based on strong science and rigorous clinical trials,” he said.
“Additionally, because the mechanism of action we discovered is distinct from previous approaches, it can potentially be used in combination with other therapies.”
“This novel class of drugs drove the formation of Pelage Pharmaceuticals, a regenerative medicine biotech developing new treatments for hair loss, with PP405 being the lead candidate.” (iStock)
Brendan Camp, M.D., a Manhattan-based dermatologist, told Fox News Digital in an interview that hair loss is a condition that “affects many and can have a negative impact on people’s psychosocial health.”
So identifying a potential new hair-loss treatment is an “exciting step for patients and providers in the management of what can otherwise be a difficult condition to treat.”
‘New Botox’
Camp agreed there is an “unmet need” for hair-loss treatment and that there’s growing interest in providing solutions and offering hair restoration services more widely.
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As cosmetic injections such as Botox and fillers have continued to be popular anti-aging and beauty treatments, hair-loss and restoration med spas are similarly surfacing nationwide.
The clinics offer a variety of services for men and women given the availability of modern options.
Early intervention when to balding is “key,” said one expert. (iStock)
Dr. Amy Spizuoco, DO, of True Dermatology in New York, dubbed balding treatments in this capacity the “new Botox.”
“With advances in treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, hair transplants and the latest stem cell research, hair restoration has become more accessible and effective,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“And much like Botox is used preventatively, younger people are tackling hair loss at the first signs rather than waiting until it’s severe.”
Camp added that while there are many hair-loss treatment options available, the response will look different for each person.
Medications such as minoxidil, finasteride and dutasteride can “slow down the process and even grow hair back,” one expert said, while procedures such as PRP, low-level laser therapy and hair transplants are also effective. (iStock)
“When looking for a treatment, stick to those with a well-established body of evidence and data to support their use, such as minoxidil, finasteride and spironolactone (in the case of female-pattern hair loss),” he advised.
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And be sure to get “the advice of a board-certified dermatologist when at-home treatments are not effective,” he also said.
These treatments are “typically used indefinitely” and should be tested for three to four months before being ruled out as effective or not, the dermatologist added.
Spizuoco said that while hair loss is common, early intervention with the right treatment plan can “significantly slow it down or possibly reverse it.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDS
After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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