Jiji Press
A team of Japanese researchers has developed technology that can fully regenerate hair follicles by utilizing stem cells.
The team, made up of researchers from Tokyo University of Science, Showa University and Kitasato University, discovered that bioengineered hair follicle germs transplanted onto hairless mice can form functional hair follicles that undergo normal hair growth cycles.
The study was published in the British journal Nature Communications on Tuesday.
Takashi Tsuji, a professor at Tokyo University of Science and coauthor of the report, hopes to apply the new technology in clinical tests with Organ Technologies Inc., a unit of Otsuka Chemical Co., and Prof. Akio Sato of Kitasato University, another coauthor who is a leading expert in androgenic alopecia treatment.
Tsuji said he wants to launch clinical tests within three years.
Currently, one popular androgenic alopecia treatment is autologous follicular unit transplantation, a method by which scalp with hair is transplanted onto hairless skin.
A combination of new and existing technologies is expected to improve treatment for androgenic alopecia. The new technology utilizes the organ germ method developed by Tsuji and other researchers. The bioengineering method reconstitutes regenerated organ germs in process similar to that of organ formation, according to the researchers.
The bioengineered hair follicle germs were reconstructed from follicular epithelial stem cells and dermal papilla cells. After they were transplanted onto the hairless mice, the researchers confirmed the bioengineered hair grew at a density of 120 hairs per square centimeter, a normal hair growth density.
They also succeeded in turning white hair black by adding pigment stem cells.
The team is now working on finding efficient ways to increase hair follicle stem cells and apply the technology to various types of human hair.
(Apr. 19, 2012)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/T120418003710.htm
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#1 - Oct. 6, 2014, 1:38 a.m.
There are many new technologies being tested & engineered out of which one is hair cloning. These experiments have been carried out across the world to reach somewhere. But the human success is still far from reality. I will like to mention that there are many people especially in countries like India who are trying to even promote a success in hair cloning and cheating people. Necessary steps are required to ensure that medical principles are upheld. In the mean time people can simply keep getting a hair transplant by Follicular Unit Extraction or FUT rather keep waiting for hair cloning to become a success. |
