Scientists in China and Canada have developed a way to treat hair loss using stem cells. The cells are enclosed within a cytokine-containing layer that circumvents the difficulties in regenerating new hair follicles on bald skin.
Hu's and Xing's teams coated the stem cells with serval polymer layers to both protect them and provide them with hair-inductive properties
Hair loss, or alopecia, is a common problem caused by aging, diseases and medicines. Although not life-threatening, the emotional effects of hair loss can be damaging. Currently, treatments include drugs and hair transplants, however these are expensive and regenerating new hair follicles after treatment remains challenging. Dermal papilla cells, a type of mesenchymal stem cell located in hair follicles, are responsible for hair-follicle morphogenesis and hair cycling. Although potentially useful for treating alopecia, they suffer from loss of function in vitro.
Interested? The full article can be read in Chemistry World.
The original article can be read below and is free to access until 2nd February 2016.:
Cytokine loaded layer-by-layer ultrathin matrices to deliver single dermal papilla cells for spot-by-spot hair follicle regeneration
Zhi-qi Hu and Malcolm Xing et al.
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C5TB02265G
