Yet another new company from South Korea (called Therazyne) is working on hair regeneration (in addition to their main work of cancer therapies). They aim to use a Wnt surrogate for the selective activation of individual frizzled (Fzd) receptors.
Therazyne: Designing Wnt Surrogates for Hair Regeneration
I have discussed the Wnt signaling pathway numerous times on this blog. Wnt signaling (in particular, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway) is the central signaling cascade that promotes hair follicle growth. It also dictates hair regeneration and the transition from the hair follicle cycle’s resting phase (telogen) to growth phase (anagen).
Therazyne is working on a de novo designed Wnt surrogate that selectively and potently binds to Frizzled 7 (Fzd7) in order to regenerate scalp hair. It does this via the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. They call this technology TZ-GF101 for the time being.
In July 2025, scientists from the Department of Biological Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) published an important study titled:
“De Novo design of a potent Wnt Surrogate specific for the frizzled7 subtype members.”
Several of the co-authors are affiliated with Therazyne, and the company seems to hold patent rights to this technology.
The scientists designed a modular, potent, and Fzd7-specific Wnt surrogate. It promoted full hair follicle regeneration and robust hair growth in mice. The results suggest that designing Wnt surrogates capable of selectively activating individual Fzd receptors could lead to hair follicle regeneration. The mouse before and after hair growth image is shown in the study as well as on Therazyne’s website:
Targeting the Frizzled Receptors for Hair Growth
Reader “Theo” e-mailed Therazyne for more details and received a detailed response, of which he e-mailed me the most important part pasted below. It seems like the company is targeting the Frizzled 1, 2, and 7 receptors. Per another message to “Theo”, they plan to conduct clinical trials in one year.
“Our lead candidate is based on modulating the Wnt signaling pathway, which is a master regulator of tissue development and regeneration. Because Wnt signaling is also associated with oncogenic risks, we have taken a highly selective approach by targeting only the Frizzled 1, 2, and 7 receptors. These receptors are particularly important for hair follicle formation, allowing us to stimulate regeneration while avoiding broad, systemic Wnt activation.
To further enhance safety, our protein therapeutic is designed for local delivery via microneedle-based administration to the scalp, rather than systemic exposure. Leveraging our de novo protein design platform, we have improved protein stability. This reduces the required dosing frequency and maintains a long-lasting effect. This represents a distinct advantage over existing small molecules or minoxidil, which either act systemically (raising concerns of side effects) or require frequent topical application and may cause cosmetic inconvenience such as scalp greasiness.
In our initial in vivo studies in mive, the candidate showed strong efficacy without signs of scalp irritation at therapeutic doses. We are now planning studies in additional mouse models of hair loss as well as ex vivo experiments using human hair follicles later this year.
Regarding your question about “bigger hair growth” compared to fin/min: our perspective is slightly different.
Rather than simply increasing the hair growth rate, the more fundamental and clinically meaningful endpoint is whether new hair follicles can be formed and maintained.
TZ-GF101 is designed to address this key biological process, which we believe may ultimately distinguish it from current therapies.”