A new study led by Greek George Cotsarelis (photo) of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, has found that stem cells do play an unexpected role in explaining what happens in bald scalps, the “Journal of Clinical Investigation” reported.
Using cell samples from men undergoing hair transplants, researchers compared follicles from bald scalps and non-bald scalps. They found that bald areas had the same number of stem cells as normal scalps in the same person.
The findings offer: “a lot more hope that you could actually get hair to grow in a bald scalp,” said study co-author Dr. George Cotsarelis, chairman of the dermatology department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Cotsarelis.
“Previously we thought the stem cells were gone, and if that was the case it would be very difficult. But because they are present it should be possible to treat,” he said.
‘We asked: “ Are stem cells depleted in the bald scalp?”
‘We were surprised to find the number of stem cells was the same in the bald part of the scalp compared with other places but did find a difference in the abundance of a specific type of cell, thought to be a progenitor cell.
‘This implies that there is a problem in the activation of stem cells converting to progenitor cells in the bald scalp.’
Their discovery reported Jan. 4th, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation , might someday lead to new targets for treatment of baldness, which affects millions of people worldwide, they say.
“Now that we have identified the problem we can try to better understand how to get a stem cell to make and activate a progenitor cells. And then we should be able to develop new ways of treating baldness,” Cotsarelis said.
Dr Cotsarelis, a dermatologist whose work was part-funded by the U.S. government and by L’Oreal, said he would also like to investigate whether his findings equally apply to women and believes at treatment could be on the market within a decade.
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