Scientists said they hacked into a natural hair growth activation code. According to them, the discovery can help bald people to return the hair.
A study published in the journal PLOS Biology demonstrates a new way to stimulate hair growth. A team of scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) found a link between the body's immune system and skin regeneration. It turned out that macrophages, protective cells of the connective tissue that have the ability to capture and absorb agents that are foreign to the body, are involved in the start of hair growth. This process is called phagocytosis.
The authors of the study say that macrophages stimulate hair growth by surrounding and activating skin cells with regenerative capacity, which are stem cells. According to them, the ability of macrophages to activate skin stem cells can be used to regenerate tissues, fight aging and cancer.
We have found that macrophages, which traditionally fight infections and heal wounds, are also involved in the activation of hair follicle stem cells in non-inflammatory skin areas, biologists said.
According to the newspaper Daily Mail, the discovery was made by chance during the work on another research project. Scientists have noticed that the rodents, who were given anti-inflammatory drugs, began to grow wool. Then there was a suspicion that the cells of the immune system are involved in this process.
It was observed that in a state of inactivity, a part of macrophages dies, releasing Wnt signaling molecules that activate nearby located stem cells of hair follicles. When the researchers applied a drug that interferes with Wnt secretion to macrophages, hair growth was not activated. The drug was delivered using tiny droplets - liposomes.
Scientists call this discovery a great achievement, even though all experiments were performed on mice and not on humans.
The article is based on materials .
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