Treatments for hair loss vary, but cell-based options may be the future.
67 citations
,
August 2013 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” Hair greying is caused by oxidative stress damaging hair follicles and melanocytes.
25 citations
,
December 1992 in “Seminars in cell biology” Skin stem cells are maintained by signals from nearby cells and vary in their ability to renew and mature.
16 citations
,
August 2019 in “Cell Proliferation” Keratinocytes help keep hair follicle cells and skin cells separate in 3D cultures, which is important for hair growth research.
9 citations
,
January 2021 in “International Journal of Medical Sciences” Sox10 is important for hair follicle development and hair growth cycles.
2 citations
,
November 2023 in “International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology” Nanofibers help heal burns effectively by improving skin restoration and reducing scars.
June 2025 in “Cell Regeneration” Lack of a certain enzyme causes hair to grey early by damaging stem cells, but an antioxidant can help prevent this.
24 citations
,
April 2012 in “Developmental Biology” Dermal papillae cells, important for hair growth, come from multiple cell lines and can be formed by skin cells, regardless of their origin or hair cycle phase. These cells rarely divide, but their ability to shape tissue may contribute to their efficiency in inducing hair growth.
17 citations
,
December 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The osteopontin gene is active in a specific part of rat hair follicles during a certain hair growth phase and might affect hair cycle and diseases.
2 citations
,
June 2022 in “Cells” 3D cell cultures are better for testing hair growth treatments than 2D cultures.
13 citations
,
September 2021 in “Current Issues in Molecular Biology” Dexpanthenol helps human hair follicle cells grow by preventing aging and death, and by supporting growth signals.
397 citations
,
February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Minoxidil boosts hair growth by opening potassium channels and increasing cell activity.
172 citations
,
May 2018 in “Nature” Mammalian organs regenerate using stem cells and cell plasticity, but this ability declines with age.
150 citations
,
October 2010 in “The American Journal of Pathology” The document concludes that more research is needed to better understand and treat primary cicatricial alopecias, and suggests a possible reclassification based on molecular pathways.
116 citations
,
August 2010 in “Nature” Scientists turned rat thymus cells into stem cells that can help repair skin and hair.
91 citations
,
March 2011 in “Stem Cell Reviews and Reports” Human epidermal neural crest stem cells can become bone and skin pigment cells, making them useful for therapies.
31 citations
,
February 2019 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” Caffeine applied to the scalp can protect hair follicles from UV damage.
24 citations
,
January 2019 in “Biomaterials Science” The shape of fibrous scaffolds can improve how stem cells help heal skin.
23 citations
,
January 2022 in “Biomaterials Science” Non-viral vectors show promise for safe and effective CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in treating diseases.
18 citations
,
October 2023 in “Nature Communications” Men with baldness are more prone to skin cancers on the scalp due to sun exposure, not testosterone.
15 citations
,
September 2014 in “PloS one” The study found that analyzing certain cell signaling pathways is not a reliable method to tell apart two types of skin tumors.
14 citations
,
October 2020 in “Scientific reports” Hair greying is linked to reduced ATM protein in hair cells, which protects against stress and damage.
14 citations
,
April 2011 in “Cell Proliferation” Scientists can grow human hair follicle stem cells in a lab without changing their nature, which could help treat hair loss.
8 citations
,
January 2022 in “Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics” It's unclear if cell-based therapies from lipoaspirate devices improve clinical outcomes due to inconsistent data.
8 citations
,
January 2016 in “Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine” Rumex japonicus extract may promote hair growth more effectively than Minoxidil.
3 citations
,
January 2003 in “Cell Structure and Function” Injecting certain cells into mice caused hair loss, which was preventable with a specific inhibitor.
2 citations
,
December 2003 in “Medical electron microscopy” The skin and mucous membranes can regenerate over the basement membrane after damage, using nearby surviving cells.
2 citations
,
January 2014 in “Hair therapy & transplantation” New treatments for hair growth disorders are needed due to limited current options and complex hair follicle biology.
1 citations
,
March 2021 in “Skin health and disease” Better hair loss models needed for research.
1 citations
,
July 2025 in “Biomaterials Advances” 3D cultures respond better to minoxidil, while 2D cultures respond better to DHT.