The Easy Knowledge Blog

Korean researchers have developed the world’s first side-effect-free hair loss treatment substance

📌 Post Summary

Hair loss is common, but for a long time there was no good solution. Topical and oral treatments came with limited effectiveness or side effects — but Korean research institutions have recently rolled out a string of meaningful breakthroughs. Here’s what’s changed.

① Why existing hair loss drugs were always a trade-off

Currently, only two hair loss treatments are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): minoxidil and finasteride. Minoxidil, a topical treatment, widens blood vessels to increase blood supply to hair follicles, but can cause skin irritation. Finasteride, an oral drug, works by suppressing production of the male hormone DHT that drives hair loss — effective, but with reported side effects including sexual dysfunction, and because of how it interacts with male hormones, it cannot be used by women of childbearing age. In short, patients had to give up either efficacy or safety and broad usability.

② DGIST develops side-effect-free new peptide ‘MLPH’

A team led by professors Moon Je-il and Kim So-yeon of DGIST’s Department of Brain Sciences, along with professor Lee Chang-hoon of the Department of New Biology, developed the new peptide ‘MLPH’ in collaboration with Kyungpook National University’s College of Medicine. The team focused on erythropoietin (EPO), a blood-producing hormone. EPO was known to promote hair growth by boosting secretion of IGF-1, a key hair growth factor, but using it directly caused excess red blood cell production — a hematological side effect that had been a dealbreaker. Using computer-modeling-based structural design, the team precisely extracted and optimized only the hair-growth-inducing portion of the EPO protein, removing the portion responsible for side effects. In tests on human hair follicle tissue and mice, MLPH converted resting-phase follicles into growth phase, producing hair growth effects on par with minoxidil, without causing blood-related side effects such as elevated red blood cell counts. The findings were published in the international pharmacology journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. Professor Moon said, “This could offer a new treatment option, free of side-effect worries, for the roughly 1 billion people worldwide dealing with hair loss.”

③ A cosmetic version is already on the market — ‘Maysin’ hair tonic clears regulatory review

While MLPH remains at the animal-testing stage, a product consumers can already buy has emerged. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced on July 2 that a hair tonic called ‘Maycera Revive & Restore,’ developed by its spinoff company BioMaysin, had cleared the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s review as a functional cosmetic for easing hair loss symptoms. The key ingredient, Maysin, is a natural flavonoid found in trace amounts in corn silk and a type of grass called centipedegrass; because it is difficult to synthesize chemically, it’s considered a high-value natural material. KAERI first succeeded in isolating and purifying Maysin from centipedegrass in 2012, and later boosted the ingredient’s concentration using a gamma-ray irradiation technique that increases Maysin biosynthesis. In animal testing, the extract showed hair growth effects similar to minoxidil, and the effect persisted even after use was discontinued. It’s worth noting, however, that this is a “functional cosmetic for easing hair loss symptoms” rather than a drug, giving it a different legal status than an actual treatment.

④ A growing market, and what’s still ahead

Korea’s hair-loss-related cosmetics market grew from 307.2 billion won in 2020 to 338.3 billion won in 2021, and was estimated to reach 499.0 billion won by 2025, according to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI). The global hair loss treatment market is projected to reach roughly 58 trillion won by 2028. That said, the two breakthroughs are moving toward commercialization at very different speeds. The Maysin hair tonic, as a functional cosmetic, is already on shelves, while DGIST’s MLPH peptide is still at the animal-testing stage and will need to go through human clinical trials and drug approval before it can be used as an actual treatment. Since getting a new drug through Phase 1-3 clinical trials typically takes several years on its own, it will be some time before MLPH could reach patients as a prescription drug.

📌 Good to Know

• MLPH is still a research substance at the animal-testing stage. Until human clinical trial results are available, its real-world efficacy and safety can’t be confirmed.
• The Maysin hair tonic is a “functional cosmetic,” not a drug. Results can vary depending on the cause and severity of an individual’s hair loss, and anyone with progressive hair loss should see a dermatologist first.
• If you’re currently using an established treatment like minoxidil or finasteride, don’t stop treatment on your own based only on new research findings — consult your doctor first.

Korean research institutions are tackling the long-unsolved challenge of side-effect-free hair loss treatment from two different angles. How quickly these two paths — a new drug and a functional cosmetic — reach consumers will be worth watching.

References

• Maeil Shinmun – “DGIST, 남녀 모두 부작용 없이 안전한 차세대 탈모 치료 물질 개발” (imaeil.com)
• Seoul Shinmun – “성기능 장애 부작용 없는 탈모 치료제 나온다” (seoul.co.kr)
• Gyeongbuk Maeil – “DGIST, 남녀 모두 안전한 차세대 발모 물질 ‘MLPH’ 세계 최초 개발” (kbmaeil.com)
• Kukmin Ilbo – “원자력연구원, ‘메이신’ 활용한 탈모 완화 화장품 개발” (kmib.co.kr)
• Dong-A Science – “탈모 완화 화장품 된 천연소재 ‘메이신’…원자력연 ‘식약처 심사 통과’” (v.daum.net)
• Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) – “주목받는 탈모 산업, 2025년 211억 달러 규모 세계시장 전망” (kisti.re.kr)