Stem Cells for Hair Loss Treatment

Hair loss is a medical issue that affects men, women and children, both physically and psychologically. Treatments include transplants and topical products such as Rogaine. In 2003, Horsley and Fuchs identified stem cells as a candidate for hair loss treatment. Since then, many teams of scientists have conducted research to prove the effectiveness and level of safety associated with stem cell therapy. If implemented, the treatment could improve the well being of millions.

The Facts

• Stem cells have the ability to transform into almost any type of cell in the body. They are also self-generating, which means they can create identical copies of themselves that will divide into more specialized cells. The process of using stem cells to re-grow hair involves the following: in a lab, stem cells are engineered into hair follicle cells. These new cells are then transplanted into the scalp to replace the damaged cells, generating hair growth.

Research

• In 2003, Horsley and Fuchs of Harvard Medical School identified a protein that regulates hair follicle stem cell division. If blocked, it may generate hair growth. In 2004, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania transplanted hair follicle stem cells into adult mice and found that it caused more hair to grow. In 2009, patients using ReGenica, an injection containing stem cells and other growth factors, reported increased hair growth.

Benefits

• Unlike transplants and topical treatments for hair loss, stem cell therapy is associated with few side effects. Because stem cells combat hair loss directly by replacing the damaged hair follicle, they prove more effective than topical treatments, which only temporarily treat symptoms. Hair loss will not recur after stem cell therapy as it occasionally does following surgical transplantation and skin grafting.

The Future

• Because past research has isolated particular cells that affect hair growth, it could open the door to a variety of possible treatments. For example, healthy adult scalp cells could be transplanted to other damaged parts of the same scalp. This would make the use of embryonic stem cells, a largely controversial issue, unnecessary. Cells isolated in past research can also generate skin cells, which could be used to treat burn victims by repopulating skin tissue.

Considerations

• Though stem cell therapy could provide a safe and effective treatment for hair loss, it will be years before the process is approved for humans and released on the market. Research remains ambiguous regarding the possibility of skin damage and or tumor formation as a result of stem cell therapy. The cost would also be higher than most existing treatments.