Not Yet RecruitingPhase 4

Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia

United States56 participantsStarted 2025-09-30

Plain-language summary

This study aims to investigate whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections can help treat central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a type of scarring hair loss that mostly affects women of African descent. CCCA is a condition that leads to permanent hair loss, usually starting at the top of the scalp and spreading outward. It can also cause discomfort, such as itching, burning, and pain. The goal is to see if PRP, which comes from the patient's own blood and is thought to reduce inflammation and promote healing, can stop hair loss and even encourage hair regrowth. PRP has been used to treat other types of hair loss, but it has not been widely studied for CCCA. Participants in the study will be women of African descent who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate CCCA. Some participants will receive PRP injections, while others will receive a placebo (an inactive treatment) as part of a randomized, double-blind trial. All participants will continue using a topical steroid treatment, which is the standard of care for this condition. The study will also look at growth factors in participants' blood to understand how they may affect hair loss or regrowth. The goal is to gather information that could lead to better treatments for CCCA, a condition that currently has no standard treatment guidelines. Although there are risks such as minor discomfort from blood draws and scalp injections and/or a small risk of disease progression, the potential benefits include improved hair growth and a better understanding of CCCA treatments.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years

SexFEMALE

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Inclusion Criteria: * Female * Minimum age of 18 years old * Self-identification as person of African descent, including African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino, and/or African American * Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate CCCA located on the vertex or fronto-vertex scalp, and as defined by Central Hair Loss Grade stages 1B, 2B, and 3B Exclusion Criteria: * Intralesional or systemic anti-inflammatory medications (corticosteroids, tetracycline antibiotics, anti-malarials) or immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, azathioprine, janus kinase inhibitors) within 4 weeks of baseline visit * Pregnant women * Topical minoxidil, metformin, or retinoic acid for 4 weeks prior to baseline visit * Severe or end-stage CCCA, Central Hair Loss Grade stage \>3B * Thrombocytopenia (as defined by baseline platelet count \< 150,000 platelets per microliter of blood) * Antiplatelet or platelet altering medications (such as but not limited to aspirin, NSAIDS, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, and prasugrel, cilostazol, and dipyridamole) within 4 weeks of baseline visit * Diagnosis of other significant concomitant alopecia * Clinically significant uncontrolled disease, malignancy, or major psychiatric illness requiring hospitalization (as determined by investigator) * Subjects not willing to follow suggested hair care practices such as limiting/avoiding traction-associated styles

What they're measuring

Physician Global Assessment of Regrowth (PGARG)

Timeframe: At each injection visit: week 0, week 4, week 8, and week 20 (treatment arm 2 and placebo arm 2 only), and three months and six months after final injection

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06998433

SponsorBaylor College of Medicine

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2026-07-31

Contact for this trial

Chidimma Okwara, MD

281 845 9847 chidimma.okwara@bcm.edu