Efficient Silencing of Androgen Receptor Gene via UTR-Targeting siRNAs for Androgenetic Alopecia Therapy

September 2025 in “ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry ”

Di Feng, Xinli Fan, Yuqiang Hu, Yizhi Man, Qian Wang, Yanmin Song, Jingjing Zhou, Jin Zhang, Yun Luo, Jing Wang, Xinjing Tang

androgen receptor androgenetic alopecia small-interfering RNAs siRNAs AR-27 AR-27 E-Chol DHT hair regrowth gene expression skin tissues AGA

TLDR AR-27 E-Chol siRNA can effectively regrow hair by reducing androgen receptor gene activity.

The study explores the use of small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting the androgen receptor (AR) gene as a novel treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), a condition driven by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes hair loss. Researchers identified a lead siRNA candidate, AR-27, which is conserved between humans and mice. The chemically modified and cholesterol-conjugated version, AR-27 E-Chol, was tested in cell cultures and a DHT-induced AGA mouse model. Results showed that AR-27 E-Chol effectively promoted hair regrowth and significantly reduced AR gene expression in skin tissues, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic option for AGA.

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