A Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) team has proposed prospects for the treatment of various forms of hair loss, including androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia, one of the most common types of hair loss worldwide, occurs due to hormonal, genetic, or environmental factors that thin the hair and disrupt its growth cycle.

The SNUH team, led by Professor Kwon Oh-sang of the Department of Dermatology, has found the possibility of transitioning hair follicles from a resting phase to a growth phase by activating Aldehyde Dehydrogenase2 (ALDH2), an enzyme located in mitochondria.

The team expects the study results will open new prospects for the treatment of various forms of hair loss, including androgenetic alopecia.

ALDH2 acts as an important enzyme that detoxifies acetaldehyde and alleviates oxidative stress, and is known to be associated with hair loss due to oxidative stress caused by mitochondrial damage. The research team conducted experiments using an ALDH2 activator, Alda-1, to evaluate its effects on hair growth and reduction in oxidative stress.

The experiment results revealed that the activity of ALDH2 in hair follicles, mainly expressed in the hair follicle epithelial layer, is minimal during the resting phase but significantly increases during the transition to the growth phase, playing an important role in inducing the hair growth phase.

ALDH2 activation was also found to increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production through oxidative phosphorylation in the follicles, contributing to the energy metabolism required for the transition from resting to growth phase.

It also reduced excessive reactive oxygen species, removed toxic oxidative aldehydes, and alleviated oxidative stress.

In human hair follicle organ culture experiments and mouse animal studies, activation of ALDH2 was confirmed to significantly promote hair length growth and accelerate entry into the growth phase.

Notably, these effects showed significant results comparable to Minoxidil, a common hair loss treatment, and a treatment used in the control group.

The team also found that the activation of ALDH2 induced an increase in β-Catenin, a major factor involved in follicle formation and maintenance.

“This study confirms the various positive effects of ALDH2 activation on hair follicles, presenting the possibility of a new treatment strategy for inducing the growth phase in the hair growth cycle.” Professor Kwon said. “The results of this research lay the groundwork for innovative approaches in the field of hair loss treatment, contributing to the development of better treatment methods and improving the quality of life for patients.”

The results of the research were published online in the recent issue of the Journal of Advanced Research.