Ancient Egyptians rubbed their bald heads with a mixture of dates, dog’s paw and donkey’s hoof; Celtic cures involved mice in a jar. Native Americans turned to yucca juice. Throughout human history, there have been a number of existential quests: for knowledge, for peace, for riches — and for a cure for baldness.

古埃及人用枣、狗爪和驴蹄的混合物摩擦秃头；凯尔特人的治疗方法是把老鼠放在罐子里。印第安人转而喝丝兰汁。纵观人类历史，人类对生存的追求有很多：对知识的追求，对和平的追求，对财富的追求，以及对治疗秃顶的追求。

Hair loss is caused by a multitude of factors, including aging, stress, hormonal imbalances and bad genetics. Despite advances, few remedies have ever worked for more than one in three people, leading the bereft to experiment with questionable treatments or endure costly surgeries. The drugs Rogaine and Propecia have offered glimmers of hope for the follically challenged, but even bigger breakthroughs may be imminent.

脱发是由多种因素引起的，包括衰老、压力、荷尔蒙失衡和不良基因。尽管取得了进步，但很少有治疗方法对三分之一以上的人有效，这导致患者尝试有问题的治疗方法或忍受昂贵的手术。药物落建（Rogaine）和保法止（Propecia）为患有胆囊疾病的患者带来了一线希望，但更大的突破可能即将到来。

UCLA scientists have now identified a small molecule that, when prompted, can waken long-slumbering but undamaged follicles. The researchers have dubbed the transporting molecule “PP405” (perhaps as a tribute to another headache L.A. residents have to deal with, the 405 freeway).

加州大学洛杉矶分校的科学家们现在发现了一种小分子，当受到刺激时，它可以唤醒长期休眠但未受损的卵泡。研究人员将这种运输分子命名为“PP405”（也许是为了纪念洛杉矶居民不得不处理的另一个头痛问题——405高速公路）。

Could a full head of hair soon be the norm ... for everyone?

一头浓密的头发会很快成为常态吗？为每个人吗?

In scientific terms, the PP405 molecule is isolated and applied to a protein in the follicle stem cells that keeps the cells dormant. This inhibits the protein, and the stem cells are moved to awaken. Lab work on the molecule has been going on for almost a decade. In the first human trials, conducted in 2023, researchers found that application of PP405 as a topical medicine onto the scalp at bedtime for a week produced promising results. Although cautious with actual data, the UCLA researchers labeled the results “statistically significant.” Most importantly, they believe the treatment will produce full “terminal” hair rather than the peach fuzz variety produced by other contemporary miracle-cure lotions and potions.

在科学术语中，PP405分子被分离并应用于卵泡干细胞中的蛋白质，使细胞保持休眠状态。这抑制了蛋白质，干细胞被唤醒。实验室对这种分子的研究已经进行了近十年。在2023年进行的第一次人体试验中，研究人员发现，在睡前将PP405作为局部药物涂抹在头皮上一周，效果很好。尽管对实际数据持谨慎态度，加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员仍将结果标记为“具有统计学意义”。最重要的是，他们相信这种治疗方法可以产生完整的“末端”头发，而不是当代其他奇迹般的治疗乳液和药水所产生的桃毛。

The three UCLA scientists behind the breakthrough — William Lowry, professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology; Heather Christofk ’01, professor of biological chemistry; and Michael Jung, distinguished professor of chemistry — are bullish on the potential of the treatment to reverse pattern hair loss, which affects more than half of all men and one-fourth of all women by the age of 50. “At some point, most men and women suffer from thinning hair, or lose it after chemotherapy, infections or other stressors, and it affects them psychologically,” says Lowry, who, although richly coiffed now, is aware that hair loss is probably in his future.

这一突破背后的三位加州大学洛杉矶分校科学家——分子、细胞和发育生物学教授威廉·洛瑞；Heather Christofk ' 01，生物化学教授；和杰出的化学教授迈克尔·荣格（Michael Jung）都看好这种疗法在逆转脱发方面的潜力。到50岁时，一半以上的男性和四分之一的女性都会受到脱发的影响。洛瑞说：“在某种程度上，大多数男性和女性都会遭受头发稀疏的困扰，或者在化疗、感染或其他压力因素后脱发，这对他们的心理产生了影响。”尽管洛瑞现在已经精心打理了头发，但他意识到自己未来可能会脱发。

Or maybe not. “No such product will work for everyone,” he says, “but our first human trials in Orange County have been very encouraging, and there are larger trials with more people to follow.”

也许不是。“没有这样的产品对每个人都有效，”他说，“但我们在奥兰治县的第一次人体试验非常令人鼓舞，而且还会有更多的人参与更大规模的试验。”

Lowry and his team were concerned that the PP405 small molecule might kill all of the follicles, “but we were happy to be wrong about that,” he says. Through UCLA’s Technology Transfer Group, which transforms brilliant research into global market products, the scientists have co-founded a medical development company called Pelage Pharmaceuticals. Backed by Google Ventures, last year the company raised $16.4 million in funding to shepherd further trials and win official clearances.

Lowry和他的团队担心PP405小分子可能会杀死所有的卵泡，“但我们很高兴在这一点上是错误的，”他说。通过加州大学洛杉矶分校的技术转移小组，科学家们共同创立了一家名为Pelage制药的医疗开发公司，该小组将杰出的研究成果转化为全球市场产品。在谷歌Ventures的支持下，该公司去年筹集了1640万美元的资金，以进行进一步的试验并获得官方批准。

“FDA approvals always take some time, as they should,” Lowry says. “But it will be worth waiting for.”

“FDA的批准总是需要一些时间，这是他们应该做的，”Lowry说。“但这值得等待。”