Researchers have discovered a solution to prevent hair loss, and even stimulate its growth, by acting on hair stem cells.
- Hair stem cells stiffen as they age and no longer produce hair.
- Researchers have found a way to prevent hair loss and even promote hair growth by softening stem cells.
- The study was carried out on mice, additional work will need to be carried out.
According to a Ifop survey13% of French people say they suffer from baldness. This phenomenon affects men more (25% before age 65 and 31% after) than women (2% then 3% after age 65). The main cause is androgenetic alopecia, which is the stiffening of hair stem cells that occurs as we age. This stiffness causes the cell cycle and production of new hair to stop.
Baldness is linked to cellular rigidity
In a 2023 study, published in the journal PNASscientists have managed to soften hair stem cells using a microRNA. It is a small RNA molecule, called miR-205, which blocks the production of proteins responsible for cell stiffness. Che proteins that cause hair stem cells to become stiff are called “actin” fibers. During experiments on mice, the authors of the work stopped the expression of genes necessary to make actin fibers. Therefore, they produced more miR-205. Result: this promoted hair growth in mice, whether young or old.
Stimulate existing stem cells to grow hair
“The stem cells began to produce new hair after ten days of treatment, noted Rui Yi, one of the authors, in a press release. We have not created new stem cells. We stimulated existing stem cells to grow hair. Often we still have stem cells, but they may not be able to generate hair.”
This solution is in the clinical trial phase, but the experts intend to continue their work. “Since there is the possibility of injecting these microRNAs directly into the skin, the next step will be to test whether a localized treatment can stimulate hair production”, concludes Rui Yi.
