Stem cells are discovered that trigger hair growth
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Employees of Yale University (USA) have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth. Opening can lead to the development of fundamentally new treatments for alopecia.
It is believed that the propensity to hair loss in 73-75% of cases is inherited on the maternal line, in 20% - on the paternal, and only 5-7% predisposed to baldness are the first in the genus.
Men with bald patches still have stem cells at the base of the follicles - although they can no longer initiate hair regeneration. Scientists knew that these follicular stem cells need signals from the skin to start the growth process, but where do these signals come from?
The study allowed to identify stem cells inside the fat layer of the skin and demonstrated that it is their molecular signals that are needed to stimulate hair growth in mice. When the hair dies, the fat layer in the scalp shrinks, and when it resumes growth, the fat layer begins to build up (the process is called lipogenesis). So: stem cells involved in the creation of new fat cells (fat cells-progenitors), just and are required for the regeneration of wool in mice. It was also found out that these cells produce PDGF molecules (platelet growth factor), which are necessary for starting the process of wool growth.
If scientists manage to make fat cells in the skin "talk" with dormant stem cells at the base of the hair follicles, one can probably talk about a real breakthrough.
Now researchers are busy identifying other signals from stem progenitor fat cells that play a role in regulating hair growth in mice. In addition, it will be found out how much this applies to human hair.
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