A sugar in the body could cure baldness.
Experts have discovered that the sweet substance can stimulate hair growth and is equally effective as the existing drug to treat male pattern baldness – known as Androgenetic alopecia.
A team at Sheffield University, working in collaboration with scientists from Pakistan, found that the application of a small dose of the naturally occurring sugar 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) leads to hair growth in mice.
Professor Sheila MacNeil, an expert in tissue engineering at Sheffield University, said: “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 naturally occurring deoxy ribose sugar to boost the blood supply to hair follicles to encourage hair growth.
“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.”
