TLDR Researchers successfully transplanted hair follicles in mice, which survived well and helped in wound healing.
In a 2016 study, researchers successfully established a new mouse model for hair follicle transplantation, which involved transferring whisker follicles from GFP transgenic mice to the back skin of nude mice. The study did not specify the total number of mice used but mentioned two experimental groups with 5 and 7 mice, respectively, and a total of 168 hair follicles were transplanted. The transplanted follicles had a high survival rate of 89% at 6 weeks and were shown to integrate with the host's skin, including innervation and connection to the circulatory system. The study found that GFP-positive cells from the transplanted follicles migrated to the healing epithelium in wounded skin but not to the interfollicular epidermis in unwounded skin, indicating a role in wound healing but not in skin homeostasis. The difference in cell migration was statistically significant, with a P-value of less than 0.01.
13 citations,
March 2012 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Hair transplant surgery can rebuild muscle and nerve connections, allowing transplanted hairs to stand up like normal hairs.
43 citations,
August 2008 in “Regenerative Medicine” Scientists created early-stage hairs from mouse cells that grew into normal, pigmented hair when implanted into other mice.
53 citations,
November 2006 in “Journal of Endocrinology” Prolactin slows down hair growth in mice.
[object Object] 212 citations,
August 2004 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” Hair follicle cells can create new blood vessels in the skin.
72 citations,
September 1997 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Careful planning and patient counseling can lead to excellent hair transplant results, often in one or two sessions.
72 citations,
December 1996 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Human hair follicles can regenerate after removal, but with low success rate.
4 citations,
August 2018 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Actual harvested hair follicles were fewer and differed in type from estimated, with older patients and those with multiple transplants needing more careful planning.
August 2014 in “Journal of clinical & experimental dermatology research” Platelet-released growth factors can treat hair loss by activating hair follicle stem cells, blocking certain pathways, and controlling inflammation and fibrosis.
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