Macrophage-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Promotes Hair Growth

    April 2020 in “Cells
    Ramya Lakshmi Rajendran, Prakash Gangadaran, Changhoon Seo, Mi Hee Kwack, Ji Min Oh, Ho Won Lee, Arunnehru Gopal, Young Kwan Sung, Shin Young Jeong, Sang‐Woo Lee, Jaetae Lee, Byeong‐Cheol Ahn
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    TLDR Special cell particles from macrophages can help hair grow.
    In 2020, researchers studied the role of macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles (MAC-EVs) in promoting hair growth. The study found that MAC-EVs, which contain proteins Wnt3a and Wnt7b, can stimulate hair growth by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, a key pathway involved in hair follicle development. The MAC-EVs were applied to the skin of mice and human hair follicles, resulting in a significant increase in hair growth, hair follicle numbers, and dermis thickness. The MAC-EVs also enhanced the proliferation, migration, and levels of hair-inductive markers of dermal papilla (DP) cells. These findings suggest that MAC-EVs could potentially be used as a treatment for hair loss conditions such as alopecia.
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