In the News – Embryonic Stem Cells Regrow Hair in Mice

Snippet from the article:

A university lecturer has succeeded in regenerating hair on mice using embryonic stem cells, an achievement that could pave the way for the development of treatments for conditions including hair loss, it has been learned.

Details of the breakthrough, by Mariko Yamaki of Matsumoto Dental University, will be published in the May edition of The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine magazine.

The work involved taking skin cells and combining them with mesenchymal stem cells–multipotent stem cells that develop into various organs of the body–to regenerate hair. Yamaki said it would be difficult to regenerate hair using only embryonic stem cells.

Read the full article — Embryonic stem cells used to regenerate hair on mice

This seems to show the connection between stem cells produced by embryos can grow hair. The question I’d like to see answered is whether the same can be shown for adult stem cells from the same person. If it could, the barrier brought on by the FDA should be bypassed and adult stem cells could appear on the market. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet though, as this is still experiments with mice at this point. It sure is exciting stuff, though!