TLDR Scientists developed tools to observe hair regeneration in real time and assess skin health, using glowing mice and light-controlled genes.
In 2014, researchers developed advanced imaging technologies and luminescent genetic tools to study hair regeneration in real time, at both microscopic and macroscopic levels. These tools also allowed for noninvasive assessment of skin's homeostatic parameters like oxidative stress levels and pH. The hair follicle, with its distinct growth cycle and large stem cell compartment, was used as a model in regeneration research. The study used "Flash" transgenic mice, which express a luciferase reporter, for high-resolution time-lapse recordings of bioluminescence of mouse skin, especially useful in experiments examining intradermal drug delivery. The potential of optogenetics, light-inducible gene expression systems, in skin research was also discussed.
16 citations,
February 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Researchers developed a mouse model that tracks hair growth using bioluminescence, improving accuracy in studying hair cycles.
42 citations,
January 2014 in “Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine” Hair growth is influenced by various body and external factors, and neighboring hairs communicate to synchronize regeneration.
305 citations,
June 2012 in “Nature” Hair regeneration needs dynamic cell behavior and mesenchyme presence for stem cell activation.
321 citations,
January 2012 in “Cell stem cell” TGF-β2 helps activate hair follicle stem cells by counteracting BMP signals.
176 citations,
April 2011 in “Science” Hair stem cell regeneration is controlled by signals that can explain different hair growth patterns and baldness.
26 citations,
April 2011 in “Skin Research and Technology” In vivo confocal scanning laser microscopy is an effective, non-invasive way to study and measure new hair growth after skin injury in mice.
12 citations,
September 2007 in “Wound repair and regeneration” Smad2/3-dependent TGF-β signaling increases during wound healing.
688 citations,
June 2007 in “Cell Stem Cell” Removing the ATR gene in adult mice causes rapid aging and stem cell loss.
38 citations,
June 2017 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Aging in hair follicle stem cells leads to hair graying, thinning, and loss.
13 citations,
January 2016 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Alternative treatments show promise for hair growth beyond traditional methods.
1 citations,
September 2023 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Melatonin may protect hair follicle cells from damage caused by a chemotherapy drug.
54 citations,
August 2019 in “Bioscience trends” Stem cells help repair tissue mainly by releasing beneficial substances, not by replacing damaged cells.
