Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar 10;14(3):612.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030612.

Advancing Regenerative Cellular Therapies in Non-Scarring Alopecia

Talagavadi Channaiah Anudeep  1   2   3   4 , Madhan Jeyaraman  2   4   5 , Sathish Muthu  2   4   6 , Ramya Lakshmi Rajendran  7 , Prakash Gangadaran  7   8 , Prabhu Chandra Mishra  4 , Shilpa Sharma  4   9 , Saurabh Kumar Jha  2   4 , Byeong-Cheol Ahn  7   8
Affiliations
Review

Advancing Regenerative Cellular Therapies in Non-Scarring Alopecia

Talagavadi Channaiah Anudeep et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

Alopecia or baldness is a common diagnosis in clinical practice. Alopecia can be scarring or non-scarring, diffuse or patchy. The most prevalent type of alopecia is non-scarring alopecia, with the majority of cases being androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or alopecia areata (AA). AGA is traditionally treated with minoxidil and finasteride, while AA is treated with immune modulators; however, both treatments have significant downsides. These drawbacks compel us to explore regenerative therapies that are relatively devoid of adverse effects. A thorough literature review was conducted to explore the existing proven and experimental regenerative treatment modalities in non-scarring alopecia. Multiple treatment options compelled us to classify them into growth factor-rich and stem cell-rich. The growth factor-rich group included platelet-rich plasma, stem cell-conditioned medium, exosomes and placental extract whereas adult stem cells (adipose-derived stem cell-nano fat and stromal vascular fraction; bone marrow stem cell and hair follicle stem cells) and perinatal stem cells (umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs), Wharton jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs), amniotic fluid-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs), and placental MSCs) were grouped into the stem cell-rich group. Because of its regenerative and proliferative capabilities, MSC lies at the heart of regenerative cellular treatment for hair restoration. A literature review revealed that both adult and perinatal MSCs are successful as a mesotherapy for hair regrowth. However, there is a lack of standardization in terms of preparation, dose, and route of administration. To better understand the source and mode of action of regenerative cellular therapies in hair restoration, we have proposed the "À La Mode Classification". In addition, available evidence-based cellular treatments for hair regrowth have been thoroughly described.

Keywords: alopecia; cellular therapy; mesenchymal stem cells; regenerative therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of hair follicle and the molecular mechanisms involved in hair cycle. (BMP—bone morphogenetic protein, TA—transit amplifying, ORS—outer root sheath, HFSCs—hair follicular stem cells). Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 27 January 2022).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cellular therapy for non-scarring alopecia. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 1 March 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chan L., Cook D.K. Female pattern hair loss. Aust. J. Gen. Pract. 2018;47:459–464. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-02-18-4498. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tanaka Y., Aso T., Ono J., Hosoi R., Kaneko T. Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment in Asian Men. J. Clin. Aesthetic Dermatol. 2018;11:32–35. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jang W.S., Son I.P., Yeo I.K., Park K.Y., Li K., Kim B.J., Seo S.J., Kim M.N., Hong C.K. The Annual Changes of Clinical Manifestation of Androgenetic Alopecia Clinic in Korean Males and Females: A Outpatient-Based Study. Ann. Dermatol. 2013;25:181–188. doi: 10.5021/ad.2013.25.2.181. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yang C.-C., Hsieh F.-N., Lin L.-Y., Hsu C.-K., Sheu H.-M., Chen W. Higher body mass index is associated with greater severity of alopecia in men with male-pattern androgenetic alopecia in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2014;70:297–302.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.09.036. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sinclair R., Torkamani N., Jones L. Androgenetic alopecia: New insights into the pathogenesis and mechanism of hair loss. F1000Research. 2015;4:585. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.6401.1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources