Unlike normal skin, scar tissue does not contain hair follicles. New research shows that when such follicles are implanted into scar tissue, the tissue changes to look like undamaged skin.
Previous studies have already shown that skin with more hair follicles heals faster and scars less than skin without hair. are known to be promoted.
Scientists at Imperial College London set out to go even further by investigating whether hair follicle transplantation could reduce or eliminate hair follicles. existing scratch.
Working with Dr. Francisco Jimenez of the University of Fernando Pessoa Canarias in Spain, they transplanted follicles into mature scars on the scalp of three human subjects. Type.
Samples of 3 mm thick scar tissue were taken, analyzed immediately before implantation and again after 2, 4 and 6 months. It was found that not only did the follicle continue to generate hair, but it also “stimulated the scar’s structural and genetic changes toward a healthy, undamaged skin profile.”
More specifically, genes in scar tissue that promote the growth of blood vessels and normal skin cells were more expressed than before, while genes that promote scar formation were less expressed. As a result, after 4 months, the number of blood vessels in the tissue was almost the same as in healthy skin.
Moreover, after 6 months, the scar epidermis (outermost layer of skin) doubled in thickness and was almost as thick as the tougher epidermis in uninjured skin. But at the same time, the density of collagen fibers within scar tissue decreased, making it softer and more supple. These are important considerations because there are
Imperial College London
Of course, when treating scars on areas other than the scalp, new hair growth may not be desirable. I’m trying to get a better understanding of what the mechanisms are at work, in the hope that I can reproduce the
“After scarring, the skin never truly regains its pre-wound function,” said lead scientist Claire Higgins, Ph.D. “Our findings lay the groundwork for exciting new treatments that can rejuvenate scars and restore healthy skin function.”
A paper on this study was recently published in the journal npj regenerative medicine.
Source: Imperial College London
