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Proposed mechanisms of low-level light therapy in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia

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Abstract

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a global challenge, affecting a large number of people worldwide. Efficacy of the existed treatments can barely meet the demands of patients. Patients who are poorly responding to those treatments are seeking for a more effective and suitable technique to treat their disease. Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is a newly developed technique, which has been proved to stimulate hair growth. Based on the function principle of LLLT in other domains and refer to the published literatures, we write this review to neaten and elucidate the possible mechanism of LLLT in the treatment of AGA. A review of published literature which is associated with keywords LLLT, photobiomodulation, AGA, treatment, hair growth, and mechanism was performed to elucidate the proposed mechanism of LLLT in the treatment of AGA. The present study shows that LLLT can accelerate hair growth in AGA patients. The proposed mechanism of LLLT in treating AGA may vary among different specialists. But we can summarize the consensual mechanisms as follows; low-level light absorbed by chromophores can lead to the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These mobilized molecules subsequently activate redox-related signaling pathways in hair follicle cells and perifollicular cells. Finally, these activated cells participate in the regrowth of hair follicle. Even though the efficacy of LLLT in the treatment of AGA in both men and women has already been confirmed, the present studies focusing on discovering LLLT are still inadequate and unsystematic. More studies are needed to standardize the optimum treatment parameters applied in promoting hair growth and determine the long-term safety and efficacy of LLLT. Current recognitions about the mechanisms of LLLT, mainly focused on the molecules that may take effect, neglected different cellular components that are functional in the hair follicle macro-environment.

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Abbreviations

AGA:

Androgenetic alopecia

LLLT:

Low-level-light therapy

NO:

Nitric oxide

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

PBM:

Photobiomodulation

PRP:

Platelet-rich plasma

Cco:

Cytochrome oxidase

MPHL:

Male pattern hair loss

FPHL:

Female pattern hair loss

NASA:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

IGA:

Investigators’ global assessment

DP:

Dermal papilla

NIR:

Near-infrared

ORSC:

Outer root sheath cell

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

DWAT:

Dermal white adipose tissue

hADSCs:

Human adipose-derived stem cells

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

HGF:

Hepatocyte growth factor

FGF-2:

Fibroblast growth factor-2

IL-1β:

Interleukin 1β

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha

PGE-2:

Prostaglandin E2

LTB-4:

Leukotriene B-4

Th1:

T helper cells type 1

AA:

Alopecia areata

HIF-1α:

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α

MMP-2:

Matrix metalloproteinase 2

HUVECs:

Human umbilical vascular endothelial cell

HECV:

Human endothelial cells

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering for providing experimental instruments.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81772104, No. 81701929, No. 81971889, No. 81902013), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2017A030310120), the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Grant No. 2019A1515012170), the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (Grant No. 201904010480), and the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. C2019112).

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  1. Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University Guangzhou, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China

    Yilong Guo, Qian Qu, Jian Chen, Yong Miao & Zhiqi Hu

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Guo, Y., Qu, Q., Chen, J. et al. Proposed mechanisms of low-level light therapy in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Lasers Med Sci 36, 703–713 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-03159-z

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