(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean research team has confirmed that keratin, a core component of the hair cuticle, promotes hair growth.
A joint research team from bio venture firm Keramedix, Kyung Hee University and Konkuk University published the results of animal tests on the effect of keratin in the latest edition of the journal “Nature Communication Biology.”
The analysis showed that keratin contributes to condensing dermal papilla cells, which play a key role in the formation of hair follicles and hair growth during the pause period between the stages of hair loss and hair growth, as well as inducing the differentiation of stem cells.
During the pause period, a phenomenon occurs where the epithelial cells of the outer epidermis at the upper part of the hair root die. Keratin, stemming from such cells, plays such a role while accumulating around hair root cells.
To verify the role of keratin, the research team observed the hair growth of rats. Their hair growth slowed after the epithelial cells of the outer epidermis were prevented from creating keratin.
Keramedix noted that based on transferred technologies, it is developing hair growth injections using keratin as the main ingredient.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
