Researchers hope that the development of hair follicles in a lab by Japanese scientists will one day result in the development of a cure for baldness and other illnesses.
Reprogramming of three-dimensional microenvironments for in vitro hair follicle induction was the title of the journal paper that explained how they used embryonic mouse cells to grow a hair follicle that developed 3mm (or around 0.12 of an inch) over 23 days.
The discovery was published in the journal Science Advances by a group of researchers from the Yokohama National University in Japan.
Up to two in five men have hair loss. Even though women too become bald. Baldness has long been treated with vitamins, hair loss therapy and surgery, but scientists are still working to find a solution.
The Japanese scientists created hair shafts with approximately 100% efficiency using two kinds of embryonic cells. After 23 days of culture, the organoids produced completely developed follicles measuring about three millimetres.
Researchers observed development and colouring during growth, which revealed fresh details about the chemicals involved in the process. They were able to regenerate hair by implanting the organoids and causing repeated hair cycles.
The findings may also apply to other organ systems and aid our knowledge of how such and pathological processes arise. The team intends to improve their organoid culture technique using human cells as part of an ongoing study on this potential treatment for baldness.
The next stage, according to Junji Fukuda, a professor in the college of engineering at Yokohama National University, is to employ human cells for medication research and regenerative medicine.