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Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is known to be effective in regenerating tissues, and bimatoprost, an analog of PGF2α, has been approved by the FDA as an eyelash growth promoter and has been proven effective in human hair follicles. Thus, to enhance PGE2 levels while improving hair loss, we found dihydroisoquinolinone piperidinylcarboxy pyrazolopyridine (DPP), an inhibitor of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), using DeepZema®, an AI-based drug development program. Here, we investigated whether DPP improved hair loss in human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) damaged by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes hair loss. We found that DPP enhanced wound healing and the expression level of alkaline phosphatase in DHT-damaged HFDPCs. We observed that DPP significantly down-regulated the generation of reactive oxygen species caused by DHT. DPP recovered the mitochondrial membrane potential in DHT-damaged HFDPCs. We demonstrated that DPP significantly increased the phosphorylation levels of the AKT/ERK and activated Wnt signaling pathways in DHT-damaged HFDPCs. We also revealed that DPP significantly enhanced the size of the three-dimensional spheroid in DHT-damaged HFDPCs and increased hair growth in ex vivo human hair follicle organ culture. These data suggest that DPP exhibits beneficial effects on DHT-damaged HFDPCs and can be utilized as a promising agent for improving hair loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology presents a cost-effective and flexible Phototrichogram (PTG) software solution for quantitative hair analysis. The software allows the usage of almost any modern camera and maintains hair count accuracy even when using different camera types through a calibration method. The study demonstrates the reliability of the software in providing precise hair counts using various camera models. The software has the potential to improve the reliance and cost-effectiveness of PTG analysis for hair treatment among doctors and researchers. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) appears to be safe and effective for hair loss. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) also has a positive biological effect on hair re‐growth. Objectives: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of both PBMT and PEMF for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Materials and Methods: This study was a 24‐week, randomized, double‐blind, sham device‐controlled trial. We recruited 80 subjects with androgenetic alopecia. The subjects got treatment every week for the 1st 12 weeks, every other week for the next 8 weeks. PBMT entails 15‐min therapy, and PEMF was carried out for 10 min. Results: The baseline hair density was 114.57 (±28.75)/cm2 and 113.31 (±30.07)/cm2 in both treatment and control groups. After 24 weeks of treatment, the mean hair density increased to 139.37 (±31.4)/cm2 in the treatment group but only to 119.78 (±31.92)/cm2 in the control group. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Based on the global assessment of independent experts, the score was 0.41 (±0.62) in the treatment group and 0.07 (±0.45) in the control group. Only very mild erythema or irritation was reported, and no serious adverse reactions were reported. Conclusions: A combination of PBMT and PEMF is a valid and safe treatment option for AGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many candidate genes for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) have been identified in studies of the Caucasians and some Asian populations. Aims: This study aimed to confirm the known susceptibility genes reported in previous studies and find additional candidate genes for high‐risk individuals for AGA in Korean population. Patients/Methods: We recapitulated the previously reported SNPs and identified the novel Korean AGA risk genetic variants using a Korean hospital‐based AGA case and control samples. The population was consisting of 494 individuals (275 AGA cases and 146 controls). Using the 800 K SNPs of precision medical research array (PMRA SNP microarray chip) and imputation‐based SNPs, 12 previous GWAS reports for AGA and a total of 62 160 SNPs were examined in our study samples. Also, we conducted the genome‐wide association study (GWAS) by the logistic regression analyses for AGA cases and controls with controlling the age as the covariates. Results: Among the 62 160 SNPs, a total of 1143 SNPs in 76 gene regions showed weak replication tendency with the p‐values <0.05 and same direction of effects. Additionally, the GWAS results showed 110 SNPs in 13 independent regions with the suggestive p‐values <1.00 × 10−5. The most significantly replicated SNP resided on chromosome 20, which were similar to other AGA replication studies including Chinese study. The GWAS identified two SNPs (rs11010734 and rs2420640) increasing the risk for AGA in our study population. Conclusions: Our study would be a reference of the non‐European studies to better understand AGA in different populations and ancestral contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of applications of human adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosomes have been suggested as novel cell-free therapeutic strategies in the regenerative and aesthetic medical fields. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of adipose tissue stem cell- derived exosomes as an adjuvant therapy after application of fractional CO2 laser for acne scars. A 12-week prospective, double-blind, randomized, split-face trial was performed. A total of 25 patients received three consecutive treatment sessions of fractional CO2 laser to the whole face, with a follow-up evaluation. Postlaser treatment regimens were applied; for each patient, one side of the face was treated with adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosomes gel and the other side was treated with control gel. Adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosomes-treated sides had achieved a significantly greater improvement than the control sides at the final follow-up visit (percentage reduction in échelle d'évaluation clinique des cicatrices d'acné scores: 32.5 vs 19.9%, p < 0.01). Treatment-related erythema was milder, and post-treatment downtime was shorter on the human adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosomes-treated side. In conclusion, the combined use of this novel material with resurfacing devices would provide synergistic effects on both the efficacy and safety of atrophic acne scar treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Ultraviolet B (UVB) laser irradiation in a targeted manner is a reasonable treatment option for localized vitiligo. Recently, narrow‐band UVB gain‐switched 311‐nm titanium:sapphire lasers (TSL) were developed for the treatment of localized vitiligo. We aimed to compare efficacy, patient satisfaction, and safety between the conventional 308‐nm excimer laser (EL) and gain‐switched 311‐nm TSL in patients with vitiligo. Methods: The 13‐paired lesions from 10 patients who had small vitiligo patches were included in this prospective intra‐patient comparison trial. Each pair was randomly assigned to each laser treatment group and treated twice weekly for 12 weeks. The global photographic assessments by dermatologists, objective numerical assessments by imaging analyzer, and patient's satisfaction were used to evaluate the effectiveness. Adverse effects were also investigated at every visit. Results: All treated lesions showed improvement of about 50% after 12 weeks. There was no significant difference between EL‐ and TSL‐treated groups. Patient satisfaction and preference among the groups were also similar. Regarding safety, there were no serious adverse effects requiring cessation of the treatments; however, the severity score for persistent erythema (lasting >24 hours) was significantly lower in the TSL group than in the EL group. Conclusions: The gain‐switched 311‐nm TSL exhibited similar efficacy to the 308‐nm EL in treating vitiligo as well as improved safety. Therefore, the 311‐nm TSL is considered as a candidate device to replace the EL as a new and promising treatment option for localized vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair growth, a complex process, has long been the subject of intense research. Recent developments in material technology have revealed boehmite as a new therapeutic modality for use in wound healing and scar reduction, indicating its beneficial effects. Nonetheless, the biological bases of the beneficial effects of boehmite remain unknown. We investigated the hair growth properties of boehmite in vitro and in vivo and observed dose‐dependent proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) in vitro and hair regrowth in a mouse model. To investigate the effects of boehmite on the promotion of cell transition to the anagen phase, we evaluated hDPC viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, protein expression and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion in vitro and assessed the anagen‐promoting effects of boehmite via gross observation and histological analysis in a mouse model. Boehmite increased hDPC viability, ALP activity, AKT/GSK3ß/ß‐catenin pathway activity, anagen‐related gene expression and VEGF secretion; moreover, it accelerated hair regrowth in a catagen‐anagen transition model via upregulation of β‐catenin signalling and follicular cell proliferation. Collectively, our results indicate that boehmite accelerates hair growth, partly via its effects on critical events in the active phase of the hair follicle cycle, including the promotion of the proliferation of hDPCs and their immediate progeny to the follicle base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histopathological features of early-stage MF include a lichenoid lymphocytic infiltrate, linear accumulation of atypical lymphocytes along the basal epidermis and epidermotropism of atypical lymphocytes, without spongiosis. We report a rare case of early-stage MF showing a CD4/CD8 double-negative immunophenotype with CD30 expression. Moreover, loss of CD4 with acquisition of CD30 expression in the early-stage MF does not necessarily imply disease progression, but merely represents an activated T-cell phenotype. [Extracted from the article]