Microinjury-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Surge Stimulates Hair Regeneration in Mice
January 2023
in “
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology
”
TLDR Minor injuries to hair follicles can stimulate hair growth in mice by increasing a specific protein.
The study "Microinjury-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Surge Stimulates Hair Regeneration in Mice" involved six groups of C57BL/6N mice, some of which were treated with a TNF-α blocker. The research found that minor injuries to hair follicles, caused by microneedle therapy or plucking, led to a surge in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), a protein involved in systemic inflammation. This surge stimulated hair growth and was associated with increased expression of Wnt proteins and VEGF, factors related to hair regeneration. However, blocking TNF-α significantly decreased hair growth, confirming the protein's crucial role in the process. The findings suggest that microneedle stimulation could potentially be used as a treatment for hair loss.
