TOKYO, Feb 6: Japanese researchers
have developed a novel method for the
mass production of hair regenerating tissues,
that may lead to a new treatment
for hairloss.
Researchers at the Yokohama National
University in Japan successfully prepared
up to 5,000 cellular aggregates,
also known as ‘hair follicle
germs (HFGs),’ simultaneously.
They showed new hair growth
from the HFGs after transplantation
into mice.
“This simple method is very
robust and promising. We hope
that this technique will improve
human hair regenerative therapy
to treat hairloss such as androgenic
alopecia,” said Junji
Fukuda, Professor at Yokohama National
University.
Hair loss troubles a substantial number
of individuals all over the world, particularly in ageing societies. Hair regenerative
medicine has emerged as a new therapy
to combat the problem.
The therapy
involves regenerating hair follicles, the
tiny organs that grow and sustain hair.
One of the more challenging obstacles
to hair regenerative medicine has been
the preparation of hair follicle germs, the
reproductive source of hair follicles, on a
large scale.
“The key for the mass production of
HFGs was a choice of substrate materials
for culture vessel,” said Fukuda, corresponding
author of the study published
in the journal, Biomaterials.
“We used oxygen-permeable dimethylpolysiloxane
(PDMS) at the bottom of
culture vessel, and it worked very well,”
Fukuda said.
The researchers evaluated the feasibility of this method by transferring the prepared HFGs from a fabricated 300-microwell array, called ‘HFG chip,’ to generate hair follicles and hairs on the mouse body. They confirmed black hair generation at both the back and scalp transplantation sites. The regenerated hair exhibited the typical hair cycle of murine hair. “We have preliminary data that suggests human HFG formation using human keratinocytes and dermal papilla cells,” said Fukuda. – PTI
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