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Chemists from the Czech Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry and the John’s Hopkins Drug Discovery unit have synthesized several compounds that, when swallowed and metabolized, create natural anti-inflammatory compounds that can help trigger the regrowth of hair.  Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that produces hair loss and bald patches.  

These newly-synthesized prodrug compounds, once within the body, lead to the production and release of itaconic acid and 1-methyl itaconate.  Using a mouse model, the researchers show that oral administration of the prodrugs leads to release of these natural anti-inflammatory compounds with the skin.  The prodrug to drug trick is necessary since the itaconate compounds themselves are not readily absorbed into the body.

This discovery is an exciting prospect for those suffering from alopecia.  Results with conventional therapy using steroids, minoxidil, or, recently, the chemotherapeutic agent methotrexate have been unpredictable and fraught with undesirable side effects..  This itaconate prodrug treatment must still be refined for use in the clinic and undergo controlled trials, but, hopefully that will happen….someday soon.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c02646

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250313/Researchers-develop-new-compound-to-treat-alopecia-areata.aspx

#alopecia #itaconate #prodrug #baldness #steroids #minoxidil