In the News – The Molecular Circuit of the Hair Follicle

Snippet from the article:

Really. Come on. Who isn’t interested in hair? Hair growth, hair loss, hair thickness, hair shape, hair location. I’d bet that everyone of us spends at least a minute or two each day thinking about (or, if you’re like me, futilely plucking and prodding at) the state of our locks.

Now Stanford researchers have delved deep into the cells surrounding our hair follicles to better understand what makes them grow and maintain hair. Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer lies in the stem cells (here, called ‘bulge cells’) within the follicle.

Specifically, research associate Yiqin Xiong, PhD, and associate professor of medicine Ching-Pin Chang, MD, PhD, have identified a signaling circuit that controls the cells’ activity.

Read the rest — The secret life of hair follicles, revealed by Stanford researchers