Hair at last! Could brittle bone drug cure baldness?

IT is good news for balding men who are fed up with the disappointing treatments on offer.

Scientists have found hope of a cure for male pattern baldness – in a drug originally used to treat brittle bone disease.

It causes hair to grow a third longer than it normally would, achieving two millimetres of growth in just six days.

The drug, WAY-316606, was created to treat osteoporosis. But in lab experiments, scientists from the University of Manchester discovered it had a dramatic effect on hair follicles donated by men with male pattern baldness.

Half of British men can expect to lose their hair by the time they turn 50, largely because of their genes.

But there are just two drugs available to treat baldness, minoxidil and finasteride, both of which have moderate side effects and often produce disappointing regrowth. Experts say they work better at stalling hair loss than causing new hair to grow. The only other option, chosen by celebrities including Elton John and Gordon Ramsay, is a hair transplant.

The latest breakthrough came as the scientists discovered the importance of a protein called SFRP1, which acts as a brake on hair growth. WAY-316606 was found to block this protein.

Lead scientist Dr Nathan Hawkshaw said: ‘The fact this new agent, which had never even been considered in a hair loss context, promotes human hair growth is exciting because of its translational potential. It could one day make a real difference to people who suffer from hair loss.’

He said the next stage would be a clinical trial to find out if the drug is effective and safe when given to humans. The drug could also be used to treat women with alopecia.

After just six days it caused human hair follicles to grow two millimetres, while untreated follicles only achieved growth of 1.5 millimetres.

The research is published in the journal Public Library of Science Biology.