Nog meer nieuwtjes omtrent 6-Bap....
What concentration should I make?
The part of the 6-BA patent that uses human trialists uses a 0.5% solution. Which is also the maximum solution you can make in pure ethanol.
Why all the excitement now?
Three completely independent groups(and probably more) all implicating BMPs in hair growth within the last few months.
The 6-BA patent is old. Why is it newsworthy only now?
The patent didnt implicate BMPs. Lion Corp/Tokushima University only recently discovered 6-ba stimulated BMPs.
Lion First in Successful Genetic Analysis of Male Pattern Baldness
Hair growth is an ongoing theme of research conducted in the field of hair science at Lion Corporation's Biological Science Research Center. In joint research with the Tokushima University School of Medicine's Department of Dermatology, Lion is proud to announce that it has made a milestone discovery in the development of a new approach to combating hair loss. By employing a technique for in-depth gene expression analysis, the Lion research team discovered anomalies in the expression of genes found in the skin of patients suffering from androgenic alopecia (hair loss commonly referred to as male pattern baldness) when compared to the skin of non-alopecia subjects. Lion's team is the first ever to make this remarkable discovery. The Company plans to announce its findings at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Biomedical Gerontology scheduled from June 18 to June 20, 2003.
1. Factors Behind the Research
In 2002, it was estimated that between 5 to 10 million people in Japan suffer from androgenic alopecia. Yet despite the vast number of people who have the disorder, the exact mechanism behind it remained a mystery. Several operative mechanisms (including energy metabolism improvement, nutritional supplements, blood flow promoters, etc.) became the focal point of efforts to develop a variety of hair-nourishment treatments to alleviate the symptoms of androgenic alopecia. Lion had already begun to turn its attention towards energy metabolism improvement, and identified glyceryl pentadecanoate (or PDG) as a relatively effective treatment for the disorder.
The process of hair growth is generally thought of as a repetitive cycle of inactivity, growth, and loss (see diagram 1) controlled by dermal papilla cells (DPCs) found at the root of a strand of hair. Since male pattern baldness is normally attributed to genetic factors, reason had it that genetic changes would also be evident in the DPCs regulating the hair growth cycle. Until that point, however, little detailed research had been conducted into the gene expression patterns associated with androgenic alopecia. It was against this backdrop that Lion set out to discern through intensive analysis the specific differences in genetic expression between dermal tissue affected by alopecia and non-alopecia skin to gain a clearer understanding of the exact nature of this disorder.
The result was that Lion become the first in the world to discover the major role played by both an increase in hair depilation signals, long identified as an important mechanism in the onset of pattern baldness, and a decline in hair growth promoting signals, vital to the growth stage of the hair growth cycle, in the onset of androgenic alopecia. By spotlighting the importance of enhancing the function of hair growth promoting signals in the prevention of hair loss, this discovery has effectively ushered in a new theoretical approach in the development of novel hair-nourishment treatments.
2. Explanation of the new hair growth mechanism
1)First in the world to conduct successful genetic expression analysis of androgenic alopecia
Lion cultivated dermal papilla cells from skin affected by alopecia and non-alopecia skin. Techniques for genetic expression analysis (DNA array analysis) were then applied to messenger RNA (mRNA) extracted from these cells, after which it was verified that a difference of around 10% in terms of gene expression existed between the two cell types. One of the differences recognized was alterations in the expression of proteins necessary for the basic cycle of cell division and growth, suggesting that DPC activity is somehow being suppressed during the onset of pattern baldness. Researchers also noticed a lower incidence of expression for other genes associated with the promotion of cell growth.
2)The discovery of hair growth promoting signals (BMP, ephrin)
The previous analysis showed a particularly dramatic decline in the genetic expression of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and ephrin, a gene that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels (see diagram 2). Once the precise effects of BMP and ephrin on hair follicles were identified, recognition of the essential role of each in promoting the growth of hair cells soon followed (see graph 1). Through this process, BMP and ephrin were recognized as important hair growth promoting signals in addressing androgenic alopecia.
3. Novel approach to the development of innovative hair-nourishment treatments
The aforementioned research and analyses suggested that lower levels of BMP and ephrin expression, common in androgenic alopecia, interrupt normal hair growth. These findings led to the hypothesis that reversing this decline in expression might allow the hair growth cycle to return to normal, which would naturally promote hair growth. Returning a state of hair loss to one of normal hair growth would thus involve 1) increasing the presence of hair growth promoting signals found in DPCs by a wide margin, and 2) blocking hair depilation signals. The search for substances that can simultaneously perform both functions yielded two promising candidates: a compound from the amine-class of nucleic acids that stimulates growth in plants, and 6-benzyl aminopurine*, a substance already noted for its beneficial effect on hair growth.
*Although 6-benzyl aminopurine has been approved for use in humans, the exact mechanism behind its efficacy remains unclear.
1) Recognizing the ability of 6-benzyl aminopurine to rapidly increase hair growth promoting signals
DNA array analysis has revealed over 51 recognizable genetic changes that occur in experiments in which 6-benzyl aminopurine is added to cell cultures with intact DPCs. Of these changes, an increase in the level of expression of BMP and ephrin has been determined as the crucial factor in achieving hair growth (see diagram 3). In other words, 6-benzyl aminopurine was seen to encourage activity during the growth stage of the hair growth cycle, and to effectively boost the level of hair growth promoting signals present during the growth cycle.
2) The ability of 6-benzyl aminopurine to suppress hair depilation signals
When 6-benzyl aminopurine is introduced into human hair follicle keratinocyte cultures engineered to simulate conditions during hair loss, the chemical effectively suppresses hair depilation signals (see graph 2). This evidence suggests that 6-benzyl aminopurine discourages the loss of hair follicles, helping to return the stunted hair growth cycle to its rightful state.
This research makes it clear that the development of new treatments for hair loss must include two elements. The first was already known: using the hair depilation signal to take the hair growth cycle beyond the hair loss stage. The second element, which has been identified for the first time through Lion's groundbreaking research, is the need to prevent a decline in the level of growth promoting signals, which are needed to advance to the growth stage, thus ensuring that the hair growth cycle functions smoothly.
Moreover, the dual effect evidenced by 6-benzyl aminopurine as a mechanism for raising the level of hair growth promoting signals in the hair growth cycle and suppressing hair depilation signals, suggests a possible new approach to the discovery of novel treatments for combating hair loss (see diagram 4). Looking ahead, Lion intends to continue its cutting edge research in this field, with the aim of applying the new technologies in the development of innovative hair-nourishment treatments.
Grt.
