Stem cell therapy may be the key to curing hair loss forever. But the technology is still in development.
In this article Ill look at how stem cell therapy works to restore lost hair. Ill help you decide if it could be a good option for you
And youll also find out how long you might have to wait before the treatment is available.
Advances in the understanding of stem cell biology may offer potential treatments for a variety of conditions, including hair loss, receding hairlines, and thinning hair.
While the research involving stem cells has been hampered by political influence in the past, there have been many recent advancements in the science of stem cell therapy and calls for further research.
Stem cell research holds promise for addressing a wide array of human malady, and some of the current research focuses on treating skin conditions and other causes of hair loss.
In basic terms, a stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that has the potential to develop into different types of cells within the body. According the the National Institutes of Health, stem cells also serve as a type of internal repair system for many tissues.
These cells have an almost limitless capacity to divide as long as the organism is alive, replenishing other cells indefinitely as cells grow through normal cycles of death and regeneration.
When a stem cell divides into two cells, each of these cells has the ability to remain a stem cell or become another type of more specialized cell such as epithelial or blood cells.
Currently, stem cells are divided into two sub-groups based on their origin, and are either embryonic or adult derived.
While the research being done on the potential for stem cell therapies to address spans a significant range, stem cell therapy does show promise for treating a variety of conditions including hair loss.
While the research being done on the potential for stem cell therapies to address spans a significant range, stem cell therapy does show promise for treating a variety of conditions including hair loss.
However, there remains a lack of detail knowledge and research related to the specific potential of stem cell biology and the development of stem cell therapies.
The Journals of Gerontology have published articles related on stem cell biology, and discussed the role of stem cells in the process of hair growth and how stem cell biology can be related to hair loss.
The authors acknowledge the role of stem cells in the maintenance and growth of bodily cells, including those related to hair growth.
One potential cause of hair loss and thinning hair may be related to a condition known as stem cell exhaustion, which can occur for many reasons including genetic diseases.
There is initial research in potential treatments for stem cell exhaustion, the prevention of which can help to stop related hair loss.
In a groundbreaking article published in Nature, the authors discuss the role of stem cells in hair growth and their research towards utilizing stem cell therapies to treat conditions of hair loss.
In order for hair growth to take place, the hair follicle requires epithelial stem cells for the propagation of growth.
Until recently, the process of developing stems cells that are differentiated into epithelial cells has not been possible.
One of the most promising treatments utilizing stem cell therapy comes from research out of China and Canada, where scientists have successfully been able to re-seed hairlines with epithelial stem cells.
Traditional treatments utilizing medication, or even hair follicle transplants, may work for a period of time but continued growth at the follicle has proven difficult to sustain.
These treatments are also unable to continuously regenerate new hair follicles once the treatment has ended.
The current studies on rodents provide some promise that some of the prior difficulties in using stem cells may have been solved through the use of a layer of dermal papilla cells that serve as a protective layer for the initial seeding process.
This coating has improved the therapeutic effect of the stem cell therapy, allowing the hair follicle to continue the normal process of morphogenesis and hair cycling.
Research from the University of Pennsylvania, funded by the US National Institutes of Health, has shown that converting stem cells that have not been differentiated into epithelial stem cells and injecting them into the skin of rodents will lead to the growth of human-like hair.
There remain some limitations to this treatment, including the fact that it has not yet been tested on human subject and that the growth that is seen does not include the sebaceous cells which are normally present in the growth of skin and epithelial cells.
The researchers also noted that some of the growth that took place were more representative of abnormal tumor-like lumps which would not be considered acceptable for treatment of hair loss or baldness in humans.
One study published in the US National Library of Medicine found that the number of hairs present in both males and females who received the treatment were significantly increased.
The same individual was treated on only half of their head, to provide a comparison, and it was found that the treatment side showed statistically significant improvements in the number of hairs.
The specific stem cells that were utilized are called adipose-derived stem cells.
While many of the potential treatments using stem cell therapy have only been tested on rodents, there remains promise in the continued and ongoing research that may address conditions of hair loss, receding hairlines, and thinning hair.
The most exciting aspect of stem cell therapies used to combat hair loss is that this type of treatment offers more long term solutions than hair transplants and has less potential for side effects than treatments involving medication or supplements.
Due to the relatively recent development of stem cell therapies, there remain a significant amount of unknowns about the potential treatments as well as the potential side effects.
The intention of stem cell therapies for treating hair loss is to encourage the growth and generation of epithelial cells, which are necessary for hair growth. However, one of the potential side effects according to a leader in stem cell research is that stem cell treatments can lead to the growth of benign tumors.
The goal is to induce cellular generation, but it can be difficult to ensure the generation of cells is isolated to the growth of hair. Another side effect that has been identified among researchers is that individuals undergoing a form of stem cell therapy commonly have aa weakened immune system
While scientists and researchers have known about the potential of stem cells for decades, the use of stem cell therapies has been somewhat controversial due to where stem cells can be obtained from.
According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, scientists have been utilizing two types of stem cells for research.
The two types of stem cells are embryonic stem cells or somatic/adult stem cells. The cultivation of human embryonic stem cells became controversial due to the nature of their propagation, and the types of research allowed became subject to significant limitations.
Recent advancements in stem cell research have allowed scientists to use the less controversial somatic/adult stem cells in areas of research and potential therapeutic options.
These advancements have made stem cell therapy significantly less controversial and opened up significant possibilities for the future of stem cell research and stem cell therapy.
There is still a significant amount of research to be done on the potential of stem cell therapy, however there are treatments available utilizing stem cells.
Unlike transplants of the past, hair stem cell transplantation utilizes an individuals own naturally developed hair follicles and adult derived stem cells to promote growth in an area where the hair has thinned or receded.
The area from which the follicles are harvested are not damaged and new hair growth will continue, and the area to which the follicles and adult derived stem cells are implanted will begin full hair growth in a matter of weeks.
This process is virtually painless, has limited potential for side effects, and does is not controversial due to the fact that the adult derived stem cells are obtained from the individual themselves.
There are currently limited options for stem cell therapies to address issues of hair loss, thinning hair, and receding hairlines. However, much of the current research being done shows significant promise for the further development of stem cell therapies that will be able to better address such issues.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the use of stem cell therapies for issues of hair loss is that these types of treatments may be able to address many of the underlying conditions that cause hair loss.
The future of stem cell therapies to treat baldness that occurs for a variety of underlying reasons is quite bright, and while the current treatments are in their infancy the potential held in stem cell research is quite promising.
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#1 Guide To Stem Cell Therapy For Hair Loss In 2018
