Dermatology in India
A role of placental growth factor in hair growth.
Yoon SY, Yoon JS, Jo SJ, Shin CY, Shin JY, Kim JI, Kwon O, Kim KH.
J Dermatol Sci. 2014 May;74(2):125-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2014.01.011. Epub 2014 Feb 6.
- Hair growth is a process which requires the presence of a hair follicle and a functional dermal papilla (DP). DP is an essential component of hair growth as this connective tissue provides nutrients to the hair follicle as well as letting the passage of androgens,
- Abnormalities in the function of the DP are the main causes of imbalance in follicle growth cycling and hair loss. Degeneration of the DP in mice leads to hair thinning and hair loss.
- Placental growth factor (PlGF) mRNA and protein expression is down regulated in cultured human placental cells (obtained from occipital scalp in healthy volunteers with no treatment applied locally for at least a month).
- PIGF acts on angiogenesis and enhances hair shaft elongation in ex vivo hair organ culture. PlGF also accelerates hair follicle growth and enhanced anagen hair growth in an in vivo model of depilation-induced hair regeneration.
Although this excellent study suggests that PlGF plays a promotion of hair growth in vitro, its effect must still be observed in patients as a treatment modality.
Contributors
Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
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