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Article: Stem cells for hair follicles.
- Article from:
- The Science Teacher
- Article date:
- November 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 National Science Teachers Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have isolated stem cells from the skin of mice and shown that they have the power to self-renew and differentiate into skin and functioning hair follicles when grafted onto mice. The findings mean that the human equivalent of these stem cells--which scientists are also trying to isolate--could ultimately be used to regenerate skin and hair, say the researchers.
Stem cells, isolated from embryos or from adult tissue, are immature progenitor cells with the capability to differentiate into a variety of specialized cells that form tissues and organs. The new findings constitute another step toward understanding how to ...