eyelash growth

One of the causes of baldness has been discovered – a breakthrough which could produce a remedy within a decade.

It could allow men to sport a thick thatch of their own hair until they are a ripe old age.

Scientists have found that stem cells do not develop properly inbalding scalps compared with hairy ones. Working out a way to make thecells mature properly could allow hair to regrow.

Hope: Scientists have made the discovery that follicle stem cells in people with baldness do not develop properly, paving the way for a cream or lotion that would reactivate the cells and allow hair to regrow

Researcher George Cotsarelis said: ‘a large contingent of thepopulation has male pattern baldness and some will go to any ends totry to reverse it.’

‘this lowers the bar for developing a treatment.  it definitely gives us hope  we can reverse the condition.’  

Until now, Britain’s 7.4million bald and balding men have had limited options  including a comb-over, toupee or transplant.

Dr Cotsarelis has spent years studying hair follicles – the tiny structures  that sprout hairs –in a bid to get to the root cause  hair loss.

Breakthrough: Dr George Cotsarelis has spent years studying follicles in order to find the causes of hair loss

Using cell samples taken from hair transplant patients, he compared the  follicles from balding parts of the scalp to those from hirsute regions.

Tests done included counting the number of stem cells – the immature cells that  turn into hair-producing cells.

This revealed the bald areas to have as many stem cells as hairy areas – but  they were far less likely to have matured, the Journal of Clinical  Investigation reports.

Dr Cotsarelis, of the University of Pennsylvania, said: ‘We asked: “ are stem  cells depleted in the bald scalp?” 

‘We were surprised to find the number of stem cells was the same in the bald  part of the scalp compared with other places but did find a difference in the  abundance of a specific type of cell, thought to be a progenitor cell.

‘this implies that there is a problem in the activation of stem cells  converting to progenitor cells in the bald scalp.’

Working out a way to reactivate the stem cells and coax them into maturing  could allow hair to regrow, giving men natural-looking locks.

Possibilities include a cream or lotion that is rubbed onto the scalp, or a  technique that involves removing the stem cells from the scalp, kick-starting  them in the lab and transplanting them back.

Dr Cotsarelis, a dermatologist whose work was part-funded by the U.S.government and by L’Oreal, said he would also like to investigatewhether his findings equally apply to women.

Dr Cotsarelis, a dermatologist, whose work was part-funded by the US government  and by L’Oreal, believes at treatment could be on the market within a decade.

Stem cells beating baldness: Cure ‘within decades’ by reactivating follicle