A pioneering technique that generates new hair follicles could help to banish baldness, research suggests.
For the first time, scientists have shown that it is possible to renew follicles capable of sprouting human hair.
The follicles grow naturally from clumps of cells called dermal papillae that play a pivotal role in hair growth.
Scientists harvested dermal papillae from seven human donors, cloned them in the laboratory, and transplanted them into human skin grafted on to the backs of mice.
In five of the tests, the transplants resulted in new hair growth that lasted at least six weeks. DNA analysis confirmed that the new hair follicles were human and a genetic match to the donors.
Although the research is at an early state, the British and American team is confident clinical trials could begin “in the near future”.
Professor Angela Christiano, from Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, said: “Current hair-loss medications tend to slow the loss of hair follicles or potentially stimulate the growth of existing hairs, but they do not create new hair follicles. Neither do conventional hair transplants, which relocate a set number of hairs from the back of the scalp to the front.
“Our method, in contrast, has the potential to actually grow new follicles using a patient’s own cells. This could greatly expand the utility of hair restoration surgery to women and to younger patients now it is largely restricted to the treatment of male-pattern baldness in patients with stable disease.”
The research develops earlier work led by Professor Colin Jahoda at the University of Durham. Prof Jahoda said more work was needed to explore the properties of hair generated by newly grown follicles.
He added: “Ultimately we think that this study is an important step toward the goal of creating a replacement skin that contains hair follicles for use with, for example, burn patients.”