Yesterday, American and Japanese scientists announced that hair follicle stem cells could aid in the recovery of nerve damage, at least in laboratory mice. This research finding has sparked hope for patients suffering from nerve damage.
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Hair follicle stem cells aid in the recovery of nerve damage |
Scientists have researched and discovered that hair follicle stem cells enable mice to walk again after suffering severe damage to their sciatic nerve. According to the researchers, this result also suggests that hair follicle cells can stimulate nerve fibers to grow and restore function after injury, providing a treatment opportunity for patients with peripheral nerve diseases.
The research team includes scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, San Diego (USA), and Kitasato University (Japan).
Embryonic stem cells are known to potentially develop into nearly all types of tissue cells, a subject that has sparked ethical controversies in many countries. Scientists have also found that issues such as immune system incompatibility are associated with embryonic stem cells. Therefore, many recent studies have focused on mature stem cells for future medical treatment applications, and hair follicle stem cells are considered a promising source.
In previous studies, the team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego concluded that hair follicle stem cells could develop into blood vessels and nerve cells. They believe these studies demonstrate the potential of hair follicle stem cells for generating various types of cells.
Currently, researchers have successfully shown that hair follicle stem cells can develop into Schwann cells, a type of glial cell that can encase nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system. When injected into mice with damaged sciatic nerves that were unable to move their limbs, Schwann cells produced myelin sheaths around the nerve fibers, allowing the mice to walk normally afterward.
According to the researchers, in the future, patients with nerve damage may be treated using their own hair follicles.
T.VY (According to Xinhua)
