Researchers at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid have achieved remarkable preclinical results using adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to treat androgenetic alopecia, with 100% of male mice and up to 90% of female mice demonstrating hair regrowth. The findings, published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, represent a potential breakthrough for treating male- and female-pattern hair loss.
Novel Stem Cell Approach Shows Gender-Specific Efficacy
The study analyzed the effects of injecting stem cells from human fat tissue into mouse skin as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Male mice achieved optimal hair regrowth after three weeks when treated with low-dose ASCs combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-boosting molecule. Female mice showed the best response to medium-dose ASC treatments supplemented with ATP, while low-dose and high-dose treatments with ATP showed no improvement in females.
"We expected good results, but not such a high level of success," said lead study author Dr. Eduardo López Bran, dermatologist and professor at The Complutense University of Madrid. "We're talking about a very high degree of hair regrowth in both male and female mice."
Significant Clinical Potential Despite Preclinical Stage
The researchers concluded that hair regrowth was improved in "all experimental groups" where male mice received stem cell solutions supplemented with ATP. With appropriate dosing, the team achieved "very high percentages" of hair regrowth across both sexes.
"These results demonstrate that advanced therapies may represent a new therapeutic approach for many diseases for which no effective treatments are currently available," Bran stated. "Achieving such promising results in the preclinical phase with a completely novel approach to androgenetic alopecia — one that avoids chronic treatment and is also safe — is a significant scientific milestone."
Technical Challenges and Future Development
The main limitation identified was the thinness of mouse skin, which "posed a challenge in administering the therapy." This required the development of specific protocols to minimize experimental variability and will be a key consideration for human studies.
Dr. Bran emphasized that the findings should be "interpreted with caution and scientific rigor," noting that while the mouse results represent significant progress, confirmation of clinical benefits in humans remains essential.
Path to Human Clinical Trials
Researchers are "actively working" on confirming safety for men and women between 18 and 50 years old with moderate androgenetic alopecia. "If everything progresses as expected, the most optimistic timeline points to the treatment becoming available in approximately five years," Bran indicated.
Dr. Brendan Camp, a New York-based dermatologist not involved in the study, commented on the potential: "While not commercially available, this study suggests that injection of stem cells supplemented with ATP into scalp skin could potentially encourage hair regrowth in individuals with androgenetic alopecia."
However, Camp cautioned that "this study is small, and more research is needed on this method as a potential treatment option for androgenetic alopecia." He encourages patients to continue focusing on currently available and "well-studied" treatments while consulting with board-certified dermatologists.
Bran advised patients with androgenetic alopecia to continue following prescribed treatments as research develops, adding: "It is important to remain hopeful. Research advances are pointing toward possible solutions that, in the future, may offer long-lasting results without the need for continuous treatment to maintain benefits."
