A study suggests that the composition of hairy moles could be useful in treating baldness.
The miracle cure for baldness has yet to be found. Although it mainly concerns men, 20% of women are also affected after the age of 35. And for now, the best way to treat it is hair implants. But researchers may have found an interesting lead… on the side of hairy moles, as they indicate in the journal Nature.
Leeks, as they are nicknamed, are actually called melanocytic cutaneous nevi. And they have the particularity of giving rise to hairs, which can sometimes be particularly long. Which would suggest, according to the researchers, a “hair stem cell hyperactivity“.
An effective molecule for hair?
Around these, the researchers found a large amount of a molecule apparently independent of the hair system, osteopontin. Given the amount of hair on these moles, the researchers wanted to see if this molecule could have an effect on their growth, as they explained in an article published on Insider. So they administered it to mice and found that the hair system was boosted.
Their goal is now to be able to administer this molecule in humans, directly into the scalp of people with baldness. Their hope is achieve a boost in the development of hair follicles.
Sources: Nature, Insider