PTD-DBM
PTD-DBM is an experimental research peptide that disrupts the CXXC5–Dishevelled interaction to activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, shown in a single 2017 mouse study to stimulate hair regrowth and new hair-follicle formation, but it has not been tested in any published human clinical trial.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
PTD-DBM fuses a protein transduction domain (PTD, which aids cell-membrane penetration) to a Dishevelled-binding motif (DBM) derived from the CXXC5 protein. CXXC5 is a negative-feedback regulator that normally binds the PDZ domain of Dishevelled (Dvl) and thereby suppresses canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling; PTD-DBM competitively occupies this same Dvl-binding site, displacing CXXC5 and disinhibiting the pathway. Because Wnt/β-catenin signaling governs hair follicle stem cell activation, entry into the anagen (growth) phase, and follicle morphogenesis, releasing this inhibitory brake is proposed to promote both regrowth from existing follicles and, under certain conditions, formation of entirely new follicles.
Typical results seen in research
In the founding peer-reviewed study, topical application of PTD-DBM to the dorsal skin of C57BL/6N mice stimulated visible hair regrowth, increased nuclear β-catenin accumulation and Wnt target gene expression, and separately promoted wound-induced hair follicle neogenesis (formation of new follicles) in a mouse wound-healing assay. This remains, to date, essentially the sole primary research publication describing PTD-DBM specifically; no published human clinical trials or independent replication studies were identified. Broader Wnt/β-catenin hair-biology literature supports the pathway's general role in follicle cycling, but this is indirect, supporting context rather than direct evidence for PTD-DBM's efficacy.
How it’s commonly used
In the research reported to date, PTD-DBM has been applied topically to skin in mouse studies; no established human application protocol, injectable formulation, or approved product exists.
- Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2017 Targeting of CXXC5 by a Competing Peptide Stimulates Hair Regrowth and Wound-Induced Hair Neogenesis
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.
- More coming soon.