Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their secretome have significant potential in promoting hair follicle development. However, the effects of MSC therapy have been reported to vary due to their heterogeneous characteristics. Different sources of MSCs or culture systems may cause heterogeneity of exosomes.

To define the potential of human adipose-derived MSC exosomes (hADSC-Exos) and human umbilical cord-derived MSC exosomes (hUCMSC-Exos) for improving dermal papillary cell proliferation in androgenetic alopecia.

We conducted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomic analysis of hADSC-Exos and hUCMSC-Exos. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry suggested that hADSC-Exos were related to metabolism and immunity. Additionally, the hADSC-Exo proteins regulated the cell cycle and other 9 functional groups.

We verified that hADSC-Exos inhibited glycogen synthase kinase-3β expression by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via cell division cycle protein 42, and enhanced dermal papillary cell proliferation and migration. Excess dihydrotestosterone caused androgenetic alopecia by shortening the hair follicle growth phase, but hADSC-Exos reversed these effects.

This study indicated that hair development is influenced by hADSC-Exo-mediated cell-to-cell communication via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

• Mesenchymal stem cells
• Exosome
• Dermal papillary cells
• Hair development
• Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomic analysis

• alopecia
• baldness
• caffeine
• clinical trials
• effluvium
• hair loss
• systematic review
• treatment

• N42/DBS/000445 Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland

• histopathological evaluation
• direct pulp capping
• hpe
• mta

• PEGylated liposomes
• bioactive compound
• chemotherapy-induced hair loss
• goat placenta
• hair growth
• microspicules

• N42A650224 National Research Council of Thailand

• Hepatic fibrosis
• Human placental extract
• NASH
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
• cirrhosis
• oxidative stress

• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Rats
• Female
• Animals
• Placental Extracts/metabolism
• Placental Extracts/therapeutic use
• Collagen Type I/metabolism
• Placenta/metabolism
• Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy
• Liver Cirrhosis/prevention & control
• Fatty Liver/drug therapy
• Fatty Liver/prevention & control
• Liver/metabolism
• Fibrosis
• Glutathione/metabolism
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism
• Diet, High-Fat

• RP 2017-05 Kanazawa Medical University

• Animals
• Hair/drug effects
• Hair/growth & development
• Hair/metabolism
• Male
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Saponins/pharmacology
• Signal Transduction/drug effects
• Steroids/pharmacology
• Wnt Proteins/metabolism
• Wnt3A Protein/metabolism
• beta Catenin/metabolism

The human placenta (HP) is a complex organ used to alleviate tiredness and promote wound healing. Previous research showed the hair growth-promoting effect of HP. However, no reports have addressed the effects of HP on hair regrowth in chemotherapy-induced alopecia. In this study, we investigated the effects of HP on the apoptosis and proliferation of hair follicles in chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Male C57BL/6 mice in telogen were depilated to enter anagen. After 9 days, dystrophic catagen was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. During 9 to 16 days, 0.1 and 1 mg/mL HP were topically applied to depilated dorsal skin.

Dystrophic hair follicles by cyclophosphamide were recovered by HP treatment. New hair shafts containing hair fibers appeared to be straight after HP treatment. Immunohistological staining revealed a significant increase of Ki67-positive cells in hair follicles treated with 1 mg/mL HP. Topical HP treatment increased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, while it attenuated the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, p53, and cytochrome c with caspase-9 and -3. In addition, the expression of KGF and the phosphorylation of AKT were upregulated by HP treatment.

These results suggest that HP treatment induced hair growth by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting the proliferation of hair follicles. HP may be useful for treating chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

• Apoptosis
• Chemotherapy-induced alopecia
• Hair follicle
• Human placenta
• Proliferation

Placenta extract has been shown to improve androgenetic alopecia (AGA) by inducing the anagen phase and increasing hair follicle density and size.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cow placenta extract lotion compared with topical minoxidil 2% as a gold standard treatment for female pattern AGA.

In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, a total of 90 women with AGA were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either topical minoxidil 2% or cow placenta solutions. At the end of the sixth month, the number of hair follicles was evaluated using a trichoscope and compared with the baseline. Global photographic review was also conducted by a blinded dermatologist.

By the end of the sixth month, there was an increase in total hair count in the specified area in both groups. The mean increase in hair count was 10.9 ± 5.74 and 10.2 ± 6.5 for minoxidil and cow placenta groups, respectively (p = .63). The percentage of patients who were rated as having moderate or marked growth was 44.2% and 32.2% in the cow placenta and minoxidil groups, respectively (p = .90).

The study limitations were the limited number of cases, short duration of treatment, and the fact that none of our participants volunteered to undergo a biopsy to evaluate microscopic changes.

Cow placenta hair-tonic lotion can be as effective as minoxidil 2% for female pattern AGA.

• Androgenetic alopecia
• Cow placenta
• Hair growth
• Minoxidil

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil mainly consists of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Previously, it was reported that oral administration of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) improved hair growth in male pattern alopecia. This study aimed to evaluate hair promoting activity of topical PSO in an animal model.

Male Swiss mice (25-30 g) were used. Dorsal hair of mice (2 x 2.5 cm) was gently removed. Groups were treated as follows: (A) Intact control (did not receive testosterone) (B) Testosterone solution only (5% w/v); (C) Testosterone (5%) + PSO (5%); (D) Testosterone (5%) + PSO (10%) (E) Testosterone (5%) + minoxidil (2%). Application of drugs (100 µl) was done for six days a week, for 3 weeks. Observational and microscopic examinations were performed and results of different groups were compared.

Topical application of testosterone significantly (p<0.01) prevented hair growth (compared with intact control). PSO (10%) increased hair growth score after 3 weeks and histopathological findings confirmed these results. After 3 weeks of treatment, the percentage of follicles in anagen phase was 95±4.6 and 44.4±15 for intact control and testosterone-only treated group, respectively. These percentages for PSO (10%) and minoxidil were 75±5.3 and 91.3±4.4, respectively and they could significantly (p<0.001) reverse the effects of testosterone.

In conclusion, as topical application of PSO showed hair growth promotion, it might be regarded as a promising alternative for treatment of male pattern alopecia. Also, considering its composition, free fatty acids and minor components like phytoestrogens and vitamin E may have contributed to this effect.

• Androgenic alopecia
• Cucurbita pepo
• Pumpkin seed oil

Cachexia is an intractable metabolic disorder that causes extreme weight loss. It is a symptom of many chronic diseases, including cancer, liver failure, congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease, and there is as yet no effective treatment. While the mechanisms underlying cachexia are complex, it is often accompanied by elevated angiotensin II (Ang II). Human placental extract (HPE) is a source of numerous biologically active molecules and has been used clinically to treat chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and other chronic diseases. Here, we investigated the effects of HPE in an Ang II-induced cachexia model in mice. HPE treatment preserved both fat mass and lean body mass and suppressed weight loss in the cachexia model, though food intake was unaffected. Ang II infusion also caused cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. HPE suppressed these effects as well as Ang II-induced cardiac expression of genes related to heart failure and cardiac remodeling. HPE also reversed Ang II-induced downregulation of mitochondria-related molecules and suppressed cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. HPE administration may thus be an effective approach to the treatment of cachexia, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.

• Angiotensin II
• Biochemistry
• Cachexia
• Cardiac fibrosis
• Cardiac hypertrophy
• Human placenta extract

• 3D culture
• decellularization
• dermal papilla cell
• extracellular matrix
• hair follicle regeneration
• hair loss
• human placenta
• hydrogel
• thermosensitive
• tissue-engineering

In this study, we explored the effect of the water extract of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira (COK) leaves on hair growth by in vitro and in vivo assays. Using an in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, it was found that the proliferation of rat vibrissae and human hair dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) was significantly enhanced by the COK leaf extract treatment. As determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of some hair growth–related factors including vascular endothelial growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), and transforming growth factor-β2 were found to be higher in the cultured hDPCs exposed to COK leaf extract than those in the untreated control group. In the hair-depilated C57BL/6 mouse model, the stimulation of hair growth was demonstrated in the group of COK leaf extract treatment. Both photographical and histological observations revealed the promotion of the anagen phase in the hair growth cycle by the COK leaf extract in the C57BL/6 mice. Finally, the ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) showed that the COK extract contained mostly cinnamic aldehyde and a small amount of cinnamic acid. The results suggest that the COK leaf extract may find use for the treatment of hair loss.

• Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira
• dermal papilla cells
• hair growth

Thread-embedding therapy has been widely applied for cosmetic purposes such as wrinkle reduction and skin tightening. Particularly, gold thread was reported to support connective tissue regeneration, but, its role in hair biology remains largely unknown due to lack of investigation. When we implanted gold thread and Happy Lift™ in human patient for facial lifting, we unexpectedly found an increase of hair regrowth in spite of no use of hair growth medications. When embedded into the depilated dorsal skin of mice, gold thread or polyglycolic acid (PGA) thread, similarly to 5% minoxidil, significantly increased the number of hair follicles on day 14 after implantation. And, hair re-growth promotion in the gold threadimplanted mice were significantly higher than that in PGA thread group on day 11 after depilation. In particular, the skin tissue of gold thread-implanted mice showed stronger PCNA staining and higher collagen density compared with control mice. These results indicate that gold thread implantation can be an effective way to promote hair re-growth although further confirmatory study is needed for more information on therapeutic mechanisms and long-term safety.

• Gold thread
• hair growth
• hair loss

• Angiogenesis
• MTA
• human dental pulp cells
• human placental extract
• odontogenic differentiation

• Alkaline Phosphatase/drug effects
• Aluminum Compounds/pharmacology
• Aluminum Compounds/therapeutic use
• Animals
• Calcification, Physiologic/drug effects
• Calcium Compounds/pharmacology
• Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use
• Capillaries/drug effects
• Cell Differentiation/drug effects
• Cell Line
• Cell Movement/drug effects
• Cell Proliferation/drug effects
• Dental Pulp/blood supply
• Dental Pulp/cytology
• Dental Pulp/drug effects
• Dentin, Secondary/drug effects
• Drug Combinations
• Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects
• Humans
• MAP Kinase Kinase 4/drug effects
• MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects
• Male
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/drug effects
• NF-kappa B/drug effects
• Neovascularization, Physiologic/drug effects
• Odontoblasts/cytology
• Odontoblasts/drug effects
• Oxides/pharmacology
• Oxides/therapeutic use
• Placental Extracts/pharmacology
• Placental Extracts/therapeutic use
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/drug effects
• Pulp Capping and Pulpectomy Agents/therapeutic use
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Signal Transduction/drug effects
• Silicates/pharmacology
• Silicates/therapeutic use
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/drug effects
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/drug effects