Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration Launches Controlled Human Study of Verteporfin in Hair Transplant Donor Healing

Project V will compare verteporfin-treated and untreated FUE donor areas to evaluate scarring, hair density, healing, and local safety

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration today announced Project V, a controlled human clinical study investigating whether locally administered verteporfin can influence healing following follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplantation.

The study will compare verteporfin-treated and untreated donor areas within the same patient, allowing researchers to evaluate whether the medication produces measurable differences in hair density, scarring, donor-site appearance, healing characteristics, and local safety.

Project V is designed to add controlled, standardized clinical data to the limited existing human evidence surrounding verteporfin and hair transplantation. The study does not assume that verteporfin regenerates hair follicles or prevents scarring; its purpose is to determine objectively whether a clinically meaningful and reproducible difference exists between treated and untreated areas.

"Hair transplantation has advanced tremendously in our ability to relocate follicles naturally and predictably, but the donor area remains a finite resource," said Dr. Parsa Mohebi, founder and medical director of Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration. "If regenerative healing could eventually help preserve donor tissue, reduce fibrosis, or restore follicular structures following extraction, it could represent an important advancement for our field. Project V is designed to investigate that possibility scientifically."

Why Verteporfin Is Being Studied

Verteporfin is an FDA-approved medication traditionally used with photodynamic therapy to treat certain eye conditions. Its use for wound healing, scar reduction, hair regeneration, or hair transplantation is investigational and off-label.

Scientific interest in verteporfin has expanded following research into the cellular pathways responsible for fibrosis and scar formation. Studies led by researchers at Stanford University found that inhibiting YAP-related mechanotransduction - a signaling process involved in fibroblast activation - could alter the way wounds heal in animal models.

In preclinical studies, wounds treated with verteporfin demonstrated reduced fibrosis and features associated with regenerative healing, including the restoration of hair follicles and other normal skin structures typically absent from scar tissue.

More recent research published in Science Translational Medicine further reported that a single verteporfin treatment administered after wounding prevented scarring and promoted regenerative healing in preclinical models.

These findings are particularly relevant to hair transplantation because FUE donor harvesting creates thousands of small wounds in scalp tissue containing healthy, functioning hair follicles.

However, results observed in animal models cannot be assumed to occur in the human scalp. Controlled human observation is needed to determine whether verteporfin can produce a measurable benefit after FUE.

A Controlled Approach to Studying the Human Donor Area

Project V will evaluate verteporfin-treated donor areas alongside untreated control areas in the same individual. This within-patient comparison is intended to reduce the effects of differences in age, hair characteristics, skin biology, healing response, and other factors that can vary significantly between patients.

Participants will be followed using standardized clinical evaluations and photography. Researchers will assess hair density, donor-site appearance, scarring and fibrosis-related changes, healing characteristics, local safety and adverse reactions, and whether any observed differences remain measurable over time.

"Our objective is not to make claims ahead of the evidence," Dr. Mohebi said. "We want to measure what actually happens in human patients and determine whether the response is meaningful, reproducible, and clinically relevant."

The Potential Importance of Donor Regeneration

Modern hair transplantation works by relocating permanent hair follicles from the donor region to areas affected by hair loss. Although transplanted follicles can continue growing for a lifetime, follicles removed from the donor area traditionally do not regenerate.

This limits the total number of grafts available during a patient's lifetime and can restrict treatment options for people with advanced hair loss, limited donor density, or a history of previous hair transplant procedures.

If future clinical research demonstrates that regenerative wound-healing methods can preserve donor tissue, decrease fibrosis, or support follicular regeneration, the implications could extend beyond cosmetic scar improvement. Such findings could eventually change how physicians approach donor management and the long-term limitations of hair transplantation.

At present, these possibilities remain investigational. Existing evidence is not sufficient to conclude that verteporfin can regenerate donor hair or prevent scarring following hair transplantation in humans.

Advancing Evidence-Based Innovation in Hair Restoration

Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration developed Project V to help address unanswered questions surrounding the use of verteporfin in the human scalp and to contribute objective clinical data to this emerging area of regenerative medicine.

The project builds upon preclinical research into scarless wound healing and early exploratory human reports involving verteporfin in hair restoration. Project V is currently progressing through pharmaceutical sourcing and clinical preparation. Patient enrollment is expected to begin after study setup has been completed.

Updates regarding enrollment, study progress, and eventual findings will be published as they become available.

About Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration

Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration is a hair restoration practice specializing in advanced surgical and medical approaches to hair loss. Founded by internationally recognized hair transplant surgeon Dr. Parsa Mohebi, the practice combines individualized patient care with clinical innovation, research, and physician education.

The practice provides follicular unit extraction, follicular unit transplantation, and advanced donor-selection and graft-placement techniques. It also investigates emerging surgical technologies and biological approaches that may help shape the future of hair restoration.

Media and Research Inquiries

Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration

Email: Research@parsamohebi.com

Website: https://parsamohebi.com

Phone: 213-214-1489

Selected Scientific References

Mascharak S, et al. Preventing Engrailed-1 activation in fibroblasts yields wound regeneration without scarring. Science. 2021;372(6540):eaba2374.

Mascharak S, Talbott HE, Januszyk M, et al. Multi-omic analysis reveals divergent molecular events in scarring and regenerative wound healing. Cell Stem Cell. 2022;29(2):315-327.e6.

Mascharak S, et al. Inhibiting mechanotransduction prevents scarring and yields regenerative healing. Science Translational Medicine. 2025. DOI link

Toyos M, Toyos R, Toyos A. Use of Verteporfin to Regrow Hair and Reduce Fibrosis after Transplantation. Journal of Dermatology Research and Therapy. 2025;11:131.

Important Medical Notice

Verteporfin is not FDA-approved for hair regeneration, scar prevention, wound healing, or hair transplantation. Its use for these purposes is investigational and off-label. Project V is intended to evaluate clinical outcomes and should not be interpreted as evidence that verteporfin has been proven to regenerate hair follicles or prevent scarring in humans

Saam Mohebi
Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration
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