Source: BBC News
A potential new cure for baldness has been discovered using a drug originally intended to treat osteoporosis.
Researchers found the drug had a dramatic effect on hair follicles in the lab, stimulating them to grow.
It contains a compound which targets a protein that acts as a brake on hair growth and plays a role in baldness.
Project leader Dr Nathan Hawkshaw told the BBC a clinical trial would be needed to see if the treatment was effective and safe in people.
Only two drugs are currently available to treat balding (androgenetic alopecia):
- minoxidil, for men and women
- finasteride, for men only
Neither is available on the NHS and both have side-effects and are not always very effective, so patients often resort to hair transplantation surgery instead.
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