Image: WebMDNew hope for sufferers of hair loss
Scientists say they are 'not far at all' from taking an exciting new baldness cure discovery from lab to clinical trials.
Researchers say a chemical designed to smell like sandalwood also has the power to stimulate hair growth in humans, according to a new study.
And they say the discovery could be on the cusp of effectively treating hair loss.
Trials are already underway to assess how this product performs in human volunteers, the team say they are “not far” from making the transition from the lab to the baldness clinic.
“This is actually a rather amazing finding,” Professor Ralf Paus, a scientist at the University of Manchester who led the research, told The Independent.
“This is the first time ever that it has been shown that the remodelling of a normal human mini-organ [a hair] can be regulated by a simple, cosmetically widely-used odorant.”
So what is this chemical?
It's known as Sandalore, a chemical produced to recreate the smell of sandalwood, which is often used to make perfumes and soaps.
They found that by applying their synthetic sandalwood odorant to scalp tissue they could both increase hair growth and decrease cell death. This was enough to generate the “substantial, clinically relevant functional hair growth effects” , as documented in their Nature Communications paper.
With millions of men and women the world over affected by hair loss, demand for a “baldness cure” is high.
However, an effective treatment is yet to be found.
But, according to Professor Paus, his latest discovery is “not far at all” from being applied in a clinical context for hair loss.
“Sandalore is already offered as a cosmetic product in Italy by the company that has co-sponsored the current study,” he said.
“A very small, short and preliminary clinical pilot study performed by an independent CRO [contract research organisation] in 20 female volunteers with topical Sandalore has already suggested a reduction of daily hair loss.”
