Hair Growth Promoting Effects of Limosilactobacillus Reuteri Isolated from Honeybee Through Wnt/β-Catenin Signal Transduction
April 2026
in “
Journal of the Korean Society of Cosmetology
”
Limosilactobacillus reuteri Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway human follicle dermal papilla cells HFDPCs hair growth-related genes HGF IGF1 VEGF DKK1 hair follicle 5α-reductase hair follicle stem cells Wnt signaling pathway dermal papilla cells hair growth genes hepatocyte growth factor insulin-like growth factor 1 vascular endothelial growth factor dickkopf-related protein 1 hair follicles 5-alpha-reductase
TLDR Limosilactobacillus reuteri from honeybees may promote hair growth by activating a specific cell pathway.
The study investigates the hair growth-promoting effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri NCHBL-005, isolated from honeybee midgut, through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The bacterium did not induce cytotoxicity in human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) and increased the mRNA expression of hair growth-related genes (HGF, IGF1, VEGF) while decreasing DKK1, which inhibits hair growth. In mice, it enhanced hair follicle number and size. Notably, L. reuteri NCHBL-005 did not affect 5α-reductase-related genes, suggesting a non-androgenic mechanism for hair growth. The study concludes that L. reuteri NCHBL-005 may promote hair growth by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, enhancing the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle stem cells.
