Results
Title

Piperonylic Acid Promotes Hair Growth by Activation of EGFR and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway.

Authors

Han, Seung Hyun; Jo, Kyung Won; Kim, Younghyun; Kim, Kyong-Tai

Abstract

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are located at the bottom of the hair follicle and play a critical role in hair growth, shape, and cycle. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways are essential in promoting keratinocyte activation as well as hair follicle formation in DPCs. Piperonylic acid is a small molecule that induces EGFR activation in keratinocytes. However, the effects of piperonylic acid on DPCs in regard to the stimulation of hair growth have not been studied. In the present study, piperonylic acid was shown to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in addition to the EGFR signaling pathway in DPCs. Piperonylic acid suppressed DKK1 expression, which presumably promoted the accumulation of β-catenin in the nucleus. In addition, piperonylic acid promoted cyclin D upregulation and cell growth and increased the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a DPC marker. In a clinical study, the group that applied a formulation containing piperonylic acid had a significantly higher number of hairs per unit area than the placebo group. These results identify piperonylic acid as a promising new candidate for hair loss treatment.

Subjects

EPIDERMAL growth factor receptors; ALKALINE phosphatase; SMALL molecules; CELLULAR signal transduction; BALDNESS; HAIR growth; KERATINOCYTE differentiation; HAIR follicles

Publication

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024, Vol 25, Issue 19, p10774

ISSN

1661-6596

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.3390/ijms251910774