Background: The light-emitting diode cap being investigated is FDA cleared for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

Objective: Evaluating 3 versions of a red and blue light LED cap: (1) 625- and 660-nm red light, (2) 425-nm blue light, and (3) both 425-nm blue light and 625- and 660-nm red light against sham.

Patients and methods: Twenty-six-week, multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blinded study. Adults aged 18 to 65 years with AGA were randomized to an active device or sham and underwent 10-minute treatments daily.


Results: One hundred sixty subjects were randomized. Ninety-one subjects were excluded for the per-protocol analysis. The per-protocol population included participants who completed 16 weeks of treatment, had no major protocol violations, and were at least 80% treatment compliant. Although the primary endpoint (mean change in non-vellus hair count from baseline to week 16) did not reach statistical significance in the individual study arms, in the pooled analysis (combining the 3 active study arms), there was a statistically significant ( p = .033) difference versus sham. The pooled study cap group achieved 28.5 more hairs per cm 2 when compared with sham.

Conclusion: The LED caps were well tolerated and increased hair density in patients with AGA.

Abbreviated from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39679573/

Background: Hair loss impacts millions globally and available treatments often come with side effects or limited efficacy. AnaGain™ Nu is a water-soluble extract from organic pea sprouts ( Pisum sativum ) developed to stimulate hair growth and reduce hair shedding. Previous work showed topical pea sprout extract improved hair density, but its underlying mechanism and efficacy when taken orally remained unclear.

Objective: The study had two aims: (1) to assess how pea sprout extract affects expression of hair-growth relevant genes in plucked hair follicles, and (2) to evaluate whether an 8-week daily intake of 100 mg of the extract as a food supplement reduces hair loss in individuals with mild to moderate shedding.

Patients and Methods: In a gene-expression trial, 10 volunteers (aged 46-60) applied a scalp product containing 2% pea sprout extract for two weeks; plucked hairs were analysed for expression of 32 key genes via RT-qPCR.


In the supplement pilot, 21 healthy adults (22-63 yrs) with daily hair loss ≥ 100 hairs consumed 100 mg pea sprout extract once daily for eight weeks; hair losses were counted at baseline, 28 and 56 days, and subject satisfaction was assessed.

Results: Topical treatment increased expression of FGF7 (~56%) and noggin (~85%) in most participants (8/10 and 7/10 respectively).

In the oral supplement study, 95% of completers reported reduced hair shedding; mean hairs lost dropped ~33.9% after one month and further by two months (p < 0.0002). No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: The pea sprout extract appears well tolerated and shows promise for reducing hair loss and promoting hair-growth-related gene expression. The authors note that larger, placebo-controlled and longer-duration studies are needed to confirm efficacy.

Abbreviated from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8246764/

Background: Low-level laser/LED therapy (LLLT) has been described as a treatment option for alopecia, but no study has comprehensively reviewed its efficacy in multiple alopecia types.

Objective: To review and evaluate LLLT for various alopecia types.

Materials and methods: A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL was conducted to identify studies assessing the effect of LLLT on patients diagnosed with alopecia. Prespecified outcome measure was the change in hair density. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the standardized mean difference in hair density before and after LLLT compared with placebo.

Results: Thirty-eight studies were included that described 3,098 patients with androgenetic alopecia (2,930/3,098), scarring alopecia (49/3,098), alopecia areata (50/3,098), telogen effluvium (17/3,098), and chemotherapy-induced alopecia (32/3,098). The mean change in hair density increased significantly in androgenetic alopecia patients after LLLT for 4 to 26 weeks compared with placebo (<20 weeks: SMD = 1.14; 95% CI [0.51-1.78]; p = .000; I 2 = 88.26%; >20 weeks: SMD = 1.44; 95% CI [0.97-1.91]; p = .000; I 2 = 80.81%). Change in hair density was reported in 5 studies evaluating other alopecia types; however, statistical information was insufficient for meta-analysis.

Conclusion: LLLT is a promising treatment option for patients with androgenetic alopecia, but future studies are needed to better understand its efficacy in other alopecia types.

Abbreviated from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39404126/

The optimal choice of salvage therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remains unknown. Based on promising results of phase II trials, the preferred salvage regimen in British Columbia since 2002 has been the out-patient regimen, gemcitabine, dexamethasone, and cisplatin (GDP). We conducted a retrospective analysis including all patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL or HL who received GDP as salvage therapy between September 2002 and June 2010. We identified 235 patients: 152 DLBCL, 83 HL. Overall response rates were 49% and 71% for patients with DLBCL and HL, respectively. Within the transplant-eligible population, 52% of patients with DLBCL and 96% of patients with HL proceeded to stem cell transplantation. The 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 21% and 28% in the DLBCL cohort, and 58% and 85% in the HL group. GDP is an effective and well-tolerated out-patient salvage regimen for relapsed/refractory DLBCL and HL.

Abbreviated from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27347845/