Activation Of Hair Follicles Stem Cell For Faster Regrowth: The Answer To Baldness & Alopecia

The discovery of reactivating stem cells in hair follicles led to new medication in men and women with baldness and alopecia issues. Hair follicles stem cells are simply old cells found within the hair. Loss of hair is due to significant factors such as hormonal imbalance, chemotherapy, stress, and aging.

Hair follicle stem cells are quiescent

During the quiescence, stem cell hair follicles remain idle until the new hair cycle regrowth resumes. If the stem cells in these areas remain inactive, the scalp will start to lose hair. Certain factors regulate the quiescent period, failure to activate the cellular bodies spell hair loss.

The study, published in the Nature Cell Biology Journal on August 14, 2017, reports that new medication could answer the problems of hair loss. The reactivation process discovered by researchers will lead to manufacturing of new formulas addressing the restoration of the crowning glory.

The metabolism of hair follicle stem cell

The research for hair restoration, conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) show that the metabolism of hair follicle stem cells is different from other cells in the skin. The stem cells source their glucose from the bloodstream and turn the glucose into a pyruvate metabolite.

Glycosis is the process that produces Pyruvate, an important substance in biochemistry. The hair follicle stem cells send pyruvate to the mitochondria or process it into lactate, reports UPI Health News.

Abundant Lactate production causes faster hair growth

Healther Christtofk, an associate professor of the biological chemistry and molecular and medical pharmacology at UCLA said that they tried to limit the supply of pyruvate to the mitochondria to see if the hair follicle stem cells would produce its lactate requirement. The method would also determine if hair growth would proceed faster.

In laboratory mice, the team of researchers genetically blocked the production of lactate that resulted to the deactivation of hair follicle stem cells. Resumption of lactate production genetically in the lab mice sped up the activation of hair follicle stem cell, causing an increase in hair cycle, reports World Health News.

Millions of people who are bald or are starting a receding hairline now have hope for the study's discovery. The research shows the better understanding of how stem cells are activated and on how to address the problem of hair loss with the cure, is at hand.