Baldness cure: Treatment for alopecia and baldness as ‘stem cells’ RE-GROW hair
HAIR loss is being reversed with a new treatment that cures baldness, scientists say.
Haircare expert warns against 'thickening' products
Hair follicles have been grown from progenitor cells, which are similar to stem cells, according to researchers form the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
The cells transform into skin cells that sustain hair follicles, they said.
After creating the new follicles, the scientists placed them onto mice.
They found the mice were able to produce hair afterwards.
Hair loss could be treated with a new therapy
In the future, this work can inspire a strategy for stimulating hair growth in patients with conditions ranging from alopecia to baldness
In humans a patient suffering from hair loss would give scientists their own progenitor cells, and the hair follicles would be grown in a lab.
Once fully grown, they could be transplanted directly onto the patient.
Cheng-Ming Chuong, senior author of the research, said: “Normally, many aging individuals do not grow hair well, because adult cells gradually lose their regenerative ability.
“With our new findings, we are able to make adult mouse cells produce hair again. In the future, this work can inspire a strategy for stimulating hair growth in patients with conditions ranging from alopecia to baldness.”
Hair loss is medically known as alopecia
The general term for hair loss is alopecia. There are many types of hair loss, including male- and female-pattern baldness, scarring alopecia and alopecia areata.
Pattern baldness affects about half of all men by 50 years old. It starts with a receding hairline, and then progresses to a thinning on the crown and temples.
Scarring alopecia is normally caused by other conditions. The condition involves the hair follicles becoming completely destroyed.
Coin-sized patches of baldness is usually a sign of alopecia aerate. It’s caused by problems with the immune system.
Hair loss could be treated with a hair transplant
Tablets, lotions and transplants are the current treatments for hair loss.
Finasteride is a tablet - available from your GP - which could help[ to treat male pattern baldness.
Minoxidil will be given to females to treat their pattern baldness.
In a hair transplant, a small piece of scalp is removed from an area that has plenty of hair. It’s then divided into single hairs, which are grafted onto other areas of the scalp.