Cell biology: Sandalwood may stimulate hair growth
Nature Communications
September 19, 2018
A synthetic sandalwood odorant stimulates hair growth in experiments using human scalp tissue performed in the laboratory. The findings are reported in Nature Communications this week.
Smell is triggered when odorant molecules are recognized by their receptors at the surface of specialised cells in the nose. However, other cells in the body also express olfactory receptors, which then regulate cell functions beyond smell.
Ralf Paus and colleagues found that the epithelium of hair follicles, particularly the outer root sheath, express the olfactory receptor OR2AT4. The authors demonstrated that applying a synthetic sandalwood odorant on human scalp explants stimulates hair growth by decreasing cell death of hair follicle keratinocytes and increasing production of the protein insulin-like growth factor 1 in the outer root sheath.
The authors suggest that olfactory receptors may serve as a target for the development of hair loss therapies.
doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05973-0
Research highlights
-
May 20
Conservation: Web of unmonitored global arachnid trade revealedCommunications Biology
-
May 20
Psychology: People with neutral attitudes towards vaccines are closer to anti-vaccine viewsScientific Reports
-
May 19
Climate change: Tree deaths increasing in AustraliaNature
-
May 18
Evolution: A middle Pleistocene hominin molar from LaosNature Communications
-
May 18
Biotechnology: Contact lens measures pressure and delivers glaucoma drugNature Communications
-
May 17
Geoscience: Biological soil crusts reduce dust blowing in the windNature Geoscience