AGAcell® on "La Razón": A Spanish hospital uses stem cells to treat alopecia

A Spanish hospital uses stem cells to treat alopecia

Dermatologists at Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid are conducting research using mesenchymal stem cells to treat androgenetic alopecia, the most prevalent form of hair loss.

Androgenetic alopecia, also known as common baldness, is a dynamic and progressive hair loss disorder that affects both men and women. Its incidence increases with age, affecting up to 80% of the male population —between 30% and 50% in men under 50— and reaching a prevalence of 50% among older women. Hair loss can negatively impact self-esteem and quality of life.

This research, carried out in collaboration with the Biomedical Research Foundation of Hospital Clínico San Carlos, is currently being conducted in an animal model, specifically in mice with induced alopecia, and is already showing promising preliminary results. The approach involves “injecting mesenchymal stem cells, derived from adipose tissue and expanded in the hospital’s cleanroom or cell therapy unit, to replace the follicular cells that are no longer functioning properly,” explains Dr. Eduardo López Bran, Head of the Dermatology Department at Hospital Clínico San Carlos.

In a recent article published in the prestigious scientific journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy, the hospital’s dermatologists reviewed medical, surgical, and regenerative treatments for androgenetic alopecia, highlighting cell therapy as the most innovative and forward-looking approach.