A recent study published in Nature Communications has uncovered a crucial discovery about hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), which play a vital role in hair regrowth and repair. Researchers found that HFSCs require a “protector protein” called MCL-1 to function properly. Without this protein, the cells experience stress and ultimately die, leading to hair loss.
Hair Growth Cycles
Hair follicles undergo three distinct phases in their growth cycle: anagen (growth), catagen (transitional), and telogen (resting), before the cycle restarts. This cycle is largely driven by HFSCs.
According to Medical Press, stress induced by factors like hair shaft loss or follicle shrinkage can cause HFSCs to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which contributes to hair loss. The process of apoptosis is controlled by proteins from the BCL-2 family, with MCL-1 acting as a protective factor to prevent cell death and support hair growth.
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