Hair Follicles Regeneration
Researchers of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine published their study on hair follicles regeneration on adult mice on 17 May 2007 in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
The ultimate feature of this researching effort is that stem cells, as incomplete cells, have the ability to give different types of cells, responding to the organism΄s needs. They exist not only in embryos but in adults as well, although in a small quantity.
What exactly have trials on mice shown?
Researchers made trials on wounded mice: they took skin tissue of wounded mice and by using wnt protein they observed that cells of the epidermis present the properties of stem cells and regenerate hair follicles. New hair follicles can produce hair shafts which grow normally through all stages of hair growth cycle.
As explained by Dr. G. Cotsarelis, the Greek professor of Dermatology and leader of the research team, this development has created many hopes for hair loss treatment in man, as researchers have identified the genes involved in the production of new hair.
This research may be very promising for the creation of novel treatments for hair and scalp disorder. But it is still quite early to extract safe results and many years of research should follow until we have a new product.