AGAcell® on «La Vanguardia»: Ideeea Therapeutics’ Bet on Androgenetic Alopecia

A therapy based on adipose tissue–derived stem cells combined with adenosine triphosphate has demonstrated its effectiveness in reversing the effects of androgenetic alopecia in an experiment conducted in mice, led by researchers from the Department of Dermatology at Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid.

The study, published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, evaluated the efficacy of this therapy in an experimental mouse model of alopecia induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for hair loss. The findings open the door to new possibilities in regenerative hair treatment.

Mice that were not administered DHT were able to fully repopulate their hair, while those that received DHT experienced significantly greater difficulty in hair regrowth, with only 40 percent achieving intense hair repopulation. This demonstrates that DHT induction is a useful model for studying androgenetic alopecia in mice.

According to the results obtained after administering the therapy, up to 50 percent of male mice treated with a low dose of stem cells and adenosine triphosphate showed complete hair repopulation, while the remaining 50 percent showed intense repopulation. This means that all treated male mice achieved hair regrowth.

Similarly, up to 50 percent of female mice treated with a medium dose of stem cells and adenosine triphosphate showed complete hair repopulation, while 40 percent showed intense repopulation. This indicates that up to 90 percent of the treated female mice achieved hair regrowth.

“With this publication, we reaffirm our leadership in alopecia research using stem cells. In this way, in the future we will be able to offer new solutions that meet patients’ expectations, allowing them access to new treatments that prioritize their well-being,” said Eduardo López Bran, Head of the Dermatology Department at Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, inventor and lead author of the study.

TREATMENT AVAILABLE IN FIVE YEARS

Although the study results are promising, the authors emphasized that additional clinical trials will be required to confirm the therapy’s efficacy and safety in humans. Accordingly, and depending on regulatory agency requirements, this treatment could become available in no less than five years.

Androgenetic alopecia, or common baldness, is a dynamic and progressive disorder of hair loss that affects both men and women. Its incidence increases with age, affecting up to 80 percent of the male population—of whom between 30 and 50 percent are under the age of 50—as well as up to half of women at older ages. Hair loss can have a significant impact on patients’ self-esteem and quality of life.