Osteoporosis Drug May Cure Baldness

Researchers from the University of Manchester have discovered that a drug originally developed to treat bone loss may also help treat hair loss. The drug, known as WAY-316606, suppresses the activity of a protein that is key to regulating the growth of many different types of tissue, including hair follicles. In a lab, the researchers extracted hair follicles from male hairtransplant patients, then treated the samples with the drug. In just two days, the drug stimulated the hair follicles to grow. A clinical trial is needed to ensure that the treatment is safe and effective when used on hair still attached to living human scalps, but experts are excited about the prospect of a new medication, as existing hairloss treatments are not effective for everyone.