Some hope seems to be on the horizon for those who struggle with hair and bone loss.
A patent has been granted to a consortium of research establishments, including the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, for a series of natural proteins and hormones that stimulate the rebuilding of bone and keep hair follicles in their growth stages.
"What we are doing is harnessing what nature has normally given the body but in a way that can compensate for deficiencies that may have occured because of disease," says David Owens, President & CEO of BiologicsMD, a drug discovery firm associated with the University that's working to develop the drugs.
BiologicsMD is based at the University's Arkansas Research & Technology Park.
Owens says the research is currently in the pre-clinical phase and they hope to begin trials in humans in the next few years. They will soon begin toxicology studies to try to determine appropriate drug dosages. Then, they will go to the FDA to initiate studies in humans.
Joshua Sakon, an associate pr ofessor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, is one of four co-inventors of the pharmaceutical protein.
Early studies done in mice prevented hair loss due to chemotherapy and reversed hair loss due to alopecia. The proteins were injected into the mice, and now BiologicsMD is working on developing a topical version.
Owens says it will likely be five years or more before human trials for treating baldness will occur.
