12 Jun 2023 --- If a hair follicle’s stem cells are softened, they are more likely to produce hair, according to researchers at Northwestern University, US. Their latest research aims to combat hair follicle stem cell stiffness that increases with age, making it harder to grow hair, much like how joints get stiff as they age. In a study published in PNAS, the investigators report that they can soften the stem cells of mice by boosting the production of a tiny RNA, miR-205, that relaxes the hardness of the cells. When scientists genetically manipulated the stem cells to produce more miR-205, it promoted hair growth in young and old mice.
