Baldness affects millions of individuals worldwide, and the only treatment available until recently was hair implants. However, scientists might have recently found a treatment for baldness. In hair follicles, scientists from the University of California discovered a single molecule that controls both cell division and cell death. Given that follicles are a source of stem cells, this discovery may help treat baldness as well as help people recover from traumas much more quickly.
The bulk of cells in the human body have permanent structures and functions that are formed throughout embryonic development, according to a university press release. For example, a blood cell cannot change into a neuron cell, and the opposite is also true.
However, stem cells are comparable to the blank Scrabble tiles in that they can differentiate into a variety of cell types, the article continues. Due to their flexibility, they can even be employed to repair injured organs or tissue.
According to research co-author and UC Riverside mathematical biologist Qixuan Wang, ‘In science fiction, the concept is that stem cells permitted it when protagonists recuperate swiftly from injuries.’
Wang continued, ‘In the real world, our new discovery brings us one step closer to controlling stem cell behaviour and accelerating wound healing.’
Hair follicles are the only organ in humans that renew naturally and frequently, even without harm, unlike the stomach and liver, which can heal themselves after traumas. This is why Wang’s team focused on them for their research.
The researchers determined the mechanism by which a specific protein known as TGF-beta controls how stem cells and other cells, including those in hair follicles, divide and produce new cells or prepare for their own demise, ultimately causing the death of the entire hair follicle.
The exact cause of follicle self-destruction is unknown. Some hypotheses claim that it is an inherited trait from animals that shed their fur to withstand the scorching summer or to blend in. The possibilities for scientific discovery are infinite if researchers can figure out how TGF-beta stimulates cell proliferation and interacts with other essential genes.
Post Your Comments