Stanford analysts find hair-growth molecule
Sergio Frank
02 August 2008
Molecule laminin-511 works in mouse embryos and there is hope it would work on humans. Scientists at the varsity's Faculty of Medication discovered the molecule "laminin-511" which signals embryonic stem cells in the skin to start growing hair. "Now we've a signal protein that may support the microenvironment for hair development, and perhaps also for hair renewal" Jing Gao, postdoctoral scholar in epithelial biology, declared of the discovery. Gao is the lead writer of a paper to be made public today ( Fri. ) that describes the finding in detail. Laminin-511 made hair grow during an embryonic stage of development in mice that's the relative equivalent to the eighth month of a human fetus. Scientists are upbeat it'd work later in life as well, and want to put the findings to work. If using the molecule to trigger hair expansion works after birth, scientists believe it might be simple to use as a drug and may be injected immediately into the area where more hair is wanted. "There are plenty of different causes of hair loss" senior writer Peter Marinkovich warned. 2006 Awards from the California Paper Publishers organisation. |