Researchers in Japan have succeeded in creating hair follicles in the laboratory, which could contribute to the development of treatments for hair loss and baldness problems.

The study was conducted by researchers, including Professor Junji Fukuda at the Faculty of Engineering at Yokohama National University and assistant professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Yokohama National University Tatsuto Kageyama, and their findings were published in "Science Advances" on the 21st of this month. Alert" (EurekAlert).

Over the past decades, scientists have discovered the critical mechanisms involved in hair follicle development using animal models.

Because fully understanding these mechanisms of hair follicle development remains a challenge, follicle formation is no longer successfully produced in the laboratory.

organoids (organelles)

Recently, so-called organoids have received widespread attention.

Organelles are small, simple copies of a specific organ that scientists produce and use to study tissue and organ development and pathology in the laboratory.

"The organelles have been a promising tool for elucidating the mechanisms in the formation of hair follicles in vitro," Kageyama said.

The research team made hair follicle organelles, and they produced hair follicles with nearly 100% efficiency.

Fully mature follicles about 3 mm long were produced over 23 days of culture in the laboratory.

Monitor hair follicle formation

With this growth taking place, researchers can monitor hair follicle formation and pigmentation in the lab, and understand the signaling pathways involved in the processes.

The team plans to improve the organelle culture system with human cells.

"Our next step is to use cells of human origin and apply for drug development and regenerative medicine," Fukuda said.

And future research could eventually open up new research avenues for developing new treatment strategies for hair loss disorders that lead to baldness.

What is baldness?

Baldness is the most common pattern of hair loss in men, although it may also affect women, and in men it is linked to genes and male hormones, and takes a specific pattern of decline that begins in the front of the head hair in the form of the English letter “M”, and this makes it different from the pattern of hair loss. Female baldness that comes in the form of a general decrease in the density of hair and not in a specific area.

Hair grows from minute cavities in the scalp called “follicles”, and a tuft of hair grows at a rate of 1.25 centimeters per month, and there are an average of 100,000 hairs in the scalp, and each hair goes through a cycle of growth and eventually falls out, in a period ranging from two to six years Eventually, the hair strand falls out and a new one grows from the follicle.

Baldness results when the hair follicle begins to shrink over time, which leads to the growth of shorter and thinner hair (i.e., less thick), and eventually the hair growth stops from the bulb, and the hair follicle remains present and alive, meaning it does not die, so some doctors say that in theory It may be possible to re-stimulate the follicle to produce hair.

When should you visit a doctor?

It is true that male pattern baldness is normal, but if one of the following patterns appears, you should see a doctor:

  • If the hair loss is abnormal, such as rapid, or includes large areas of the scalp, or was in the form of spots, or came with breakage and split ends in the hair.

  • If hair loss is accompanied by itching, redness or pain in the scalp.

  • If your hair loss started after taking a certain treatment.