New research in Japan may hold some good news for people worrying about their hair. A Japanese research group says a decline in a certain type of collagen found in human scalps causes age-related hair loss.
Tokyo Medical and Dental University Professor Emi Nishimura and her group studied the mechanism of how mice lose hair as they age. The group found that hair-producing cells die from a lack of a type of collagen, which is essential. The group reports that hair loss was curbed in mice when their genes were modified to maintain the collagen. The team also says it ascertained a similar mechanism in human hair growth.
(Emi Nishimura / Professor, Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
"We hope to determine which substances can be turned into treatments to maintain collagen. We will conduct more experiments on animals and then hold clinical trials with humans."
Nishimura says research into collagen could also help in understanding how human organs lose vitality.
◆scalp 頭皮
◆curb 抑える、抑制する
◆gene 遺伝子
◆modify 変更する、改変する
◆ascertain 確認する、突き止める
◆treatment 治療（薬)
◆clinical trial 臨床試験
◆human organ 人間の臓器
