In good news for men anxious about their thinning hair, scientists have identified a naturally occurring sugar that could be a game-changer for treating male pattern baldness.

While working on an altogether different project about how wounds heal, researchers at the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University Pakistan observed that hair around treated wound patches grew faster than untreated areas. Upon closer inspection, they found that the sugar 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), which is naturally produced by the human body, was responsible for the hair regrowth observed in the mice.

Currently, one of the only FDA-approved treatments for hair loss is minoxidil, also known by the brand name Rogaine. While effective to an extent (but much less so with older patients), this drug can have nasty effects, including hair shedding and scalp irritation. However, using a natural sugar like 2dDR may turn out to reverse hair loss without the side effects.

Early stages of a potential breakthrough

“Male pattern baldness is such a common condition, affecting men all over the world, but at the moment there are only two FDA licensed drugs to treat it. Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxy ribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth,” said Professor Sheila MacNeil, who is a professor of tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield.

“The research we have done is very much early stage, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation. This could offer another approach to treating this condition which can affect men’s self-image and confidence.”

In experiments, the researchers used mice with testosterone-induced hair loss. The mice were divided into groups. These were a control group, a minoxidil-treated group, a 2dDR-treated group, and a combination of 2dDR and minoxidil.

After 20 days, mice being treated with 2dDR showed similar hair regrowth to those treated with minoxidil. The 2dDR group also exhibited an increase in blood vessels, hair follicle length, and density. The treatment also enhanced the amount of hair in the anagen (growth) stage, which is important maintaining hair density.

The researchers believe that 2dDR upregulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), known to promote hair growth. They see it as a natural alternative to minoxidil for male pattern hair loss. But it also could be promising for treating chemotherapy-induced hair loss. However, further studies are needed to understand the exact mechanisms of 2dDR on hair regeneration. And, of course, we must assess whether it works on actual people in clinical trials.

“This pro-angiogenic deoxy ribose sugar is naturally occurring, inexpensive and stable and we have shown it can be delivered from a variety of carrier gels or dressings. This makes it an attractive candidate to explore further for treatment of hair loss in men,” said co-author Muhammed Yar from the COMSATS University of Pakistan.

The findings appeared in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.