Stay Updated: South Korea Hair Growth Research & More

I’ve had a few readers asking about updates lately which tells me that not everyone is aware of the new Updates thread. It is a post that acts as a Newsfeed. I use it to add quick news items and links to articles. These are for news items that do not necessitate an entire published post. Once again, I recommend going to the page >https://folliclethought.com/updates/< and bookmarking it in your browser so you can check it on a daily basis, or as often as you like, to see if news has been posted. You will not receive an email when the thread is updated; emails only go out for published articles (like this one).

The Latest

One news item which has been burning up the internet lately is the research done by Professor Kang-Yell Choi of Yonsei University and colleagues in South Korea. The research is centered on using a protein chain called PTD-DBM to interfere with a protein called  CXXC-type zinc finger protein 5. The PTD-DBM prevents the CXXC protein from interrupting the Wnt signaling pathway which is responsible for initiating hair follicle growth and regeneration. So, with PTD-DBM in place, the Wnt signaling pathway can function as normal and thus hair growth continues as normal. This development so far, has only been tested on mice.

I will certainly continue to follow this research. Keep in mind, the excitement from this discovery is stemming from a research paper. The steps ahead for Choi and his team include testing the PTD-DBM compound for safety and toxicity in animals. Then it will further be developed into an actual drug candidate for humans. When discoveries like these are announced people always wonder, “is this really it, the cure?” We will find out more as things progress. It does seem compelling as far as hair growth news goes, but of course, for “research paper discoveries” it is best to keep hopes balanced. There are steps ahead.  

Thank You For Your Support

I had a pleasant experience with a reader of the site today I’d like to share. Some of you may be aware I have started a donation page for Follicle Thought where readers who find value in this site can make a big or small contribution for my efforts. Patrons of the site can choose to make a one-time donation or a monthly contribution. I received this message today from a supporter of my page:

“There are few places online that one can find reliable, informative and positive information and discussion. I am currently donating $5 monthly, and will be increasing to $10 next month because I really feel I am getting my money’s worth.”

It really warmed my heart and thanks to ‘M’ for your contribution. To make a contribution to support this site and my efforts please click on the image below which will take you to my Patreon page. Thanks much in advance, any and all support goes a long way. 🙂

South Korea Growth Factor Hair Loss Treatment

With so much news coming from South Korea at the moment, I thought it was only right to add a bonus. To be honest, I love “research paper” news, it’s great. However, I’ll typically favor news of an actual biotech firm working on a hair growth drug if given the choice. This newcomer drug candidate is actually very early in its development also and comes from Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. of Seoul, South Korea. The drug is listed as a “growth factor” in the company’s pipeline chart and is aimed at treating hair loss, as well as arthritis. Click the logo below to visit Daewoong’s pipeline page. And if you missed it, check out the article I did a few months ago about other compelling drug development coming out of Asia.