Scientists create skin from stem cells.

[Arashi]

Scientists created skin from stem cells and are planning to start a clinical trial in 2014.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=42dTVVqBg1s
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23817131

Of course this is exciting news because of the close relation to hair grafts. Remember how Jahoda said that the main remaining issue was to figure out how to increase gene expression by creating the right environment (so tricking the cells into thinking they're in the body). The researchers in this study solved that problem: "In this work we have studied the capability of HWJSCs to differentiate in vitro and in vivo to oral mucosa and skin epithelial cells using a bioactive three-dimensional model that mimics the native epithelial-mesenchymal interaction. To achieve this, primary cell cultures of HWJSCs, oral mucosa, and skin fibroblasts were obtained in order to generate a three-dimensional heterotypical model of artificial oral mucosa and skin based on fibrin-agarose biomaterials."


This is of course pretty much what Jahoda is trying to figure out. Hopefully this milesone this will be useful in the race for the first artificial human hair transplant. And either way, clinical trials starting with this in the upcoming year, that's quite exciting and this has to be good for the hair regeneration quest too.

*EDIT* more about this fibrin-agarose biomaterial used (it was developed a few years ago by the same scientists) : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...51616111001718

[Arashi]

The science daily article from 2 days ago:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1122084407.htm

So, Desmond, what do you think ? I know you love this The, never before, demonstrated differentiaton potential of umblical cord stemcells into epithelial cells is extremely exciting !! This is what Tsuji lab was looking for too (although they were of course looking at IPS cells as a source). How many umblical cords do we throw away daily ? Enough to cure us baldies, that's for sure, haha

[FearTheLoss]

It's amazing how rapidly our knowledge regarding stem cells is increasing every few months. A cure is coming guys just be patient. Like Spencer said, we will have something in the next 8 years or less.

[Arashi]

Like Spencer said, we will have something in the next 8 years or less.

With all those recent breakthroughs this now seems highly plausible indeed.

[Arashi]

Tsuji labs combined epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells (Dermal papilla cells), stuck them together and they grew into a hair follicle. We can now create epithelial cells from umblical cord cells just like those researchers did (though I think those epithelial cells can be expanded in culture too). The big question of course remains: can those umbilical cord stem cells be differentiated into mesenchymal cells too ? Nobody has tested this before. If that turns out to be true, then I think hairloss is solved (but correct me if I'm wrong or missing something here, Desmond).

[crafter]

more 'breakthroughs' that will probably come of nothing but at least keep scientiist in work for a bit longer.

we could have had a baldness cure by now, be able to grow new limbs etc with embryonic stem cells, but but 'ethics' and religion have held advances back because they think destroying an embryo (a group of a few cells) is murder.

[Arashi]

Well, though Tsuji lab created hair from combining DP cells + epithelial cells into 'hair germs', the origins of the intrinisic hair properties (color, angle etc) are also still unknown. So that is still the other part of the quest of course. Nevertheless it's exciting news, especially the fact that they're going into clinical trials with this human skin project next year already.

[crafter]

"“There is still a long way to go before reaching clinical applications but we are getting there,” Martino said."

in other words - "5 to 10 years" lol

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science...h-team-112213/

[Arashi]

But then again, while professors all around the world are working hard to find out how to expand/differentiate DP cells and to find the origins of the intrinsic hair properties, we have this wonder doctor/mediator/guru/weightloss specialist/yoga trainer in India who figured it all out more than a year ago:





(sorry, had to do it, this pic still cracks me up lol)

[Arashi]

Hmmm I was googling and found this 2010 paper where researchers already created DP cells from umblical cord: http://www59.zippyshare.com/v/15371579/file.html

Sometimes I'm a bit confused ... Like, if we're able to make both epithelial cells and MSC/DP cells from umblical cord and if Tsuji lab can combine those to create grafts ... then what's the problem ? Desmond ? Anybody ?