Developing New Graft Holding Solutions: In Vitro Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules Identifies Vitamin B12 as Micrograft Stabilizing Substance

In a study conducted 17 years ago, researchers investigated the effects of different bioactive substances on the viability of micrografts during hair restoration procedures. They found that vitamin B12 significantly improved the metabolic state of the isolated micrograft. Micrografts stored in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and stimulated with vitamin B12 showed increased hair shaft elongation (HSE) compared to those stored in PBS alone. Specifically, supplementation of PBS with 2.5 ug/ml and 25 ug/ml vitamin B12 led to a dose-dependent increase in percent HSE (22.0% and 27.4%, respectively). Additionally, vitamin B12 induced a dose-dependent increase in the transcription of ß-catenin, a key molecule of the wnt pathway, which is highly correlated to cell proliferation in the hair follicle. These findings suggested that vitamin B12 might support micrograft engraftment and hair growth in vivo, although further studies and clinical trials were needed to confirm these in vitro results.