AGAcell® on "National Geographic": Spanish researchers make a groundbreaking advance in the fight against alopecia

Spanish researchers make a groundbreaking advance in the fight against alopecia.

They have applied a combined treatment of cell therapy and an energizing molecule—marking the first such treatment of its kind to be published worldwide. Clinical trials in humans are expected to begin soon.

From the moment a fetus begins to form, the first genetic material it contains—what sets it apart from others—is its stem cells. Unlike traditional cells, stem cells do not have a specific function within the body; rather, they have the potential to become any type of cell. This versatility has always captured the attention of researchers seeking to develop new therapies.

This time, it was a team of Spanish dermatologists at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid who applied stem cells for a novel purpose: to combat alopecia. The results, recently published in the scientific journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy, were highly positive. It is the first discovery of its kind to be published globally.

Promising results, but...
Photographs documented the hair growth progress in the mice, and after 21 days, the results were conclusive:

50% of male mice treated with low doses of stem cells experienced complete hair regrowth.
50% of male mice treated with low doses of stem cells experienced intense hair regrowth.
50% of female mice treated with medium doses of stem cells experienced complete hair regrowth.
40% of female mice treated with medium doses of stem cells experienced intense hair regrowth.

Success in mice does not guarantee it will work in humans, but the promising results are highly impactful. Currently, no similar treatment exists worldwide. The most common options to fight baldness remain hormone-based drugs, hair transplants, or topical vasodilators.

Human clinical trials are expected between 2026 and 2027, and the treatment would initially be administered via a single injectable dose.