Regulating cell mechanics stimulates hair growth in mice.
If delivering microRNA by means of nanoparticles grows hair, next step will be checking.
Possible for human hair growth
Northwestern Medicine scientists found that the tightness of aging hair follicle stem cells prevents hair development. They found that softening these cells using a small RNA, miR-205, promotes hair growth in mice Future experiments will check whether topically delivered miR-205 can promote hair growth possibly in humans.
Softening stiff hair roots stem cells with a microRNA regrows hair
Northwestern scientists found how to soften up those stem cells to enable them to grow hair once again. In a study in mice published recently in the journal PNAS, the private investigators report that they can soften the stem cells by enhancing the production of a tiny RNA, miR-205, that unwinds the hardness of the cells. When researchers genetically manipulated the stem cells to produce more miR-205, it promoted hair growth in young and old mice..
We are promoting the existing stem cells to grow hair. A lot of times we still have stem cells, but they might not be able to generate the hair.
” Our study demonstrates the possibility of promoting hair growth by regulating cell mechanics. Because of the potential to deliver microRNA by nanoparticles directly into the skin, next we will check whether topically provided miR-205 can promote hair development first in mice. If successful, we will develop experiments to test whether this microRNA can promote hair growth possibly in humans.”.
This research study was carried out in genetically crafted mouse models. The researchers used innovative microscopy tools, including atomic force microscopy, to measure the stiffness and two-photon microscopy to monitor cell habits in live animals.
Referral: “MicroRNA-205 promotes hair regeneration by regulating mechanical homes of hair follicle stem cells” by Jingjing Wang, Yuheng Fu, Wenmao Huang, Ritusree Biswas, Avinanda Banerjee, Joshua A. Broussard, Zhihai Zhao, Dongmei Wang, Glen Bjerke, Srikala Raghavan, Jie Yan, Kathleen J. Green and Rui Yi, 22 May 2023, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.2220635120.
Other Northwestern authors include Jingjing Wang, Yuheng Fu, and Kathleen Green.
This research study was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases grants AR066703, AR071435, AR043380, AR041836, and P30AR075049 of the National Institutes of Health.
Just as peoples joints can get stiff as they age and make it harder for them to walk around, hair roots stem cells likewise get stiff, making it harder for them to grow hair, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
But if the hair follicles stem cells are softened, they are most likely to produce hair, the researchers found.
Northwestern Medicine researchers discovered that the stiffness of aging hair roots stem cells prevents hair development. Northwestern researchers discovered how to soften up those stem cells to enable them to grow hair once again. We are promoting the existing stem cells to grow hair.” Our research study shows the possibility of promoting hair growth by controling cell mechanics.
