New Treatments for Baldness

Hair loss, is like weight loss, in that it’s a massive area of concern for many people and a big market for commercial products; and it’s of interest to many when there is news of new treatments for baldness,

An article here describes how:

 “Yale researchers have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth, an insight that may lead to new treatments for baldness.”

“The researchers identified stem cells within the skin’s fatty layer and showed that molecular signals from these cells were necessary to spur hair growth in mice, according to research published in the Sept. 2 issue of the journal Cell.”

The senior author of this paper, Valerie Horsley, said:

 “If we can get these fat cells in the skin to talk to the dormant stem cells at the base of hair follicles, we might be able to get hair to grow again,”

The article continues:

 “Men with male pattern baldness still have stem cells in follicle roots but these stem cells lose the ability to jump-start hair regeneration. Scientists have known that these follicle stem cells need signals from within the skin to grow hair, but the source of those signals has been unclear.”

“Horsley’s team observed that when hair dies, the layer of fat in the scalp that comprises most of the skin’s thickness shrinks. When hair growth begins, the fat layer expands in a process called adipogenesis. Researchers found that a type of stem cell involved in creation of new fat cells — adipose precursor cells — was required for hair regeneration in mice. They also found these cells produce molecules called PDGF (platelet derived growth factors), which are necessary to produce hair growth.”

This may be just the beginning of new lines of research into regrowth of hair based on biological principles rather than just the chemical type of approach that has given us so called “hair restorers”. Signalling may also be at the root of the problem of why our hair starts to turn grey as we get older. Hopefully there is more good news to come as research continues apace bringing us new treatments for baldness that are far more effective and natural than those we have at present.