Soon the method will also be tested on humans * The researchers achieved this by reactivating a gene that is only active in the fetus. The problem: the hair grows white
The growth of the regenerating hair follicles for 45 days. The arrows point to the hair tip. The bumps are the areas where hairs appear. The regenerated hair follicles contain normal stem cells and function normally as they produce hair and go through the entire growth cycle. Photo - Dr. George Kotsarlis, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that hair follicles in adult mice regenerate using a regeneration gene that is only active in embryos. The findings provide significant proof for the first time, that like other animals such as amphibians (the salamander for example), mammals also have the ability to regenerate. A better understanding of the process may lead to new treatments against hair loss, and other skin and hair diseases, as well as against injuries. The article was recently published (May 17, 2007) in the journal Nature.
"We were able to show that the healing process from injuries triggered the embryonic state in the skin and makes it available to receive instructions from the wnt protein" says George Kotsarlis, professor of dermatology "These proteins are a network of proteins involved in the development of the hair follicles".
In a study conducted by Koutsarlis and his team in mice, they discovered that when an adult mouse is injured, the cells that cause the creation of hair are regenerated, thus allowing new hair to grow. The problem was that the natural growth of the hair after the injury was not enough, and the researchers realized that without a certain protein, which normally only works in the womb, no hair grows. When this protein is present in large quantities, hair grows, and when it is not present, hair does not grow. The researchers injected the protein into mice, and found that not only did their wounds heal faster, but so did their hair. Instead of the hair cells of the bald mice, new cells appeared, which grew hair again. The researchers from the university claim that within a decade it will be possible, using stem cells, and with the addition of the active protein during the embryonic period, to cause hair to grow again.
However, the researchers have one caveat - the mice grew only white hairs, which means that people who try the treatment will probably have to dye the new hair - a small price for a bald person to get his hair back.
Within two years the experimental treatments on humans are expected to begin, and within ten years the unique anti-baldness treatment is expected to be on the market.
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To the same extent that the protein was injected in order to encourage hair growth, inhibitors (and there are) can be given to the receptor that binds the aforementioned protein and thus inhibit hair growth.
Although I have not read the article, the question arises whether giving a recombinant protein from the wnt family will not affect the development of other stem cells in the body and whether this will not have unwanted side effects. The wnt group is an important factor in the development of many types of stem cells (in the intestines, bone marrow, etc.) and I do not know the specificity of that protein in this study.
Legel: It is possible that the different structure and function of the hairs in the auditory system imply that the signal pathways operating in these hair follicles are also different. It is not known whether the administration of the aforementioned protein will encourage hearing improvement. Also, impaired hearing does not necessarily result from the absence of these hairs.
What about hairs inside the ears that allow us to hear
For those whose hearing is damaged.
Kobe, get something useful:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/robots/dean-kamen-cyborg-arm-243278.php
What about teeth?
More useful.
What about removing hair from unwanted areas????
What about people who have too much hair
Maybe they will invent a medicine that removes the hair from the whole body???