Researchers map hair growth pathways for non-surgical hair restoration

The Esthetic Clinics and QR678 Research collaborate on groundbreaking research mapping hair growth pathways, potentially offering a non-surgical solution to hair restoration.

Mumbai-based The Esthetic Clinics (TEC), in collaboration with QR678 Research, have co-authored a research paper that maps the complete molecular network governing human hair growth—potentially offering the clearest path yet to hair restoration without the need for surgery, medication, or transplantation.

 

Shome added that the global hair transplant market is currently valued at $15.22 billion and is projected to reach $23.32 billion by 2030.

 

Published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, the paper was developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from India and the United States. It redefines androgenetic alopecia (AGA)—the most common form of hair loss. Significantly, the study is among the first to integrate stem cell biology, gene therapy, and molecular signalling into a unified therapeutic approach for treating AGA.

 

 

“For decades, we have treated hair loss as a cosmetic issue. This paper consolidates what we now understand about the biological breakdown behind it—and reframes baldness as a malfunction of the body’s regenerative system,” said Debraj Shome, senior author and Director at TEC.

 

The paper focuses on five main molecular pathways—Wnt/β-catenin, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP), Notch, and AKT/MAPK—that work together to control the hair follicle’s growth cycle. In cases of AGA, this communication system breaks down—especially due to reduced Wnt activity and increased BMP signals—causing hair follicles to become inactive or dormant.

 

The research proposes several therapeutic strategies to biologically “reset” hair follicles, such as using stem cell therapies to restore a healthy follicle environment, among other approaches. The Esthetic Clinics noted that some of these approaches have shown results in lab-grown tissues and animal models, with early-stage clinical trials expected to begin within the next two years.