Researchers in Japan have identified a previously unknown “third cell” essential for fully regenerating hair follicles, marking a step toward potential new treatments for hair loss.
A team led by national scientific research institute Riken and Tokyo-based startup OrganTech announced Wednesday that they had successfully re-created the complete hair-growth cycle in mice by adding the newly identified cell type to two already known components of hair follicles, the tiny organs in the skin that produce hair.
The findings have been published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.