That Nose, That Chin, Those Lips
With Plastic Surgery, a Makeover to Look Like a Celebrity
JAN. 15, 2014
Skin Deep
By ABBY ELLIN
When Nino Dean looks in the mirror, the face staring back at him is eerily
evocative of Vanessa Paradis, the French chanteuse and former paramour
of Johnny Depp.
This is not a lucky roll of the genetic dice. Mr. Dean, a freelance
fashion stylist in Manhattan, had surgery 13 years ago to have his visage
molded to resemble, at the very least, Ms. Paradis’s second cousin, if not
her identical twin.
“I wanted her baby face,” said Mr. Dean, who is 37 but said most
people guess he is in his mid20s. “I still find her my favorite beauty of all.”
Magazines and websites routinely publish photographs of people who
have altered their faces to look like a movie star, pop singer, Mattel
product, Egyptian queen or, in the notorious and perhaps unintentional
case of the socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, a wild animal.
While requests for these sorts of utter transformations do not take
place every day, doctors say they do happen regularly.
“About once a month, someone comes in who wants to look like a
family member, friend or celebrity,” said Dr. Sam Lam, a facial plastic
surgeon in Dallas. “One guy wanted to look like his cousin who was a2/6/2014 With Plastic Surgery, a Makeover to Look Like a Celebrity – NYTimes.com
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/plasticsurgery/ 2/5
model. Another guy wanted a chin implant to look like his older brother.”
Though a striking or jarring similarity can sometimes be achieved, it’s
impossible to recreate another person’s image. Bone structure, facial
proportions and ineffable characteristics all factor into people’s looks.
“We really cannot make someone ‘pass’ for someone else,” said Dr.
Steven Teitelbaum, a plastic surgeon in Santa Monica, Calif., and a
spokesman for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a
professional organization. “At most, we can try to mimic a feature, such as
a nice nose, or even to put in a grossly disproportionate chin implant to
mimic the nearly cartoonish visage of Jay Leno.”
It is possible, however, to repeat the same overthetop procedure on
different patients — say, “an overly high brow lift, excessive nasal
reduction, excessively filled lips,” Dr. Teitelbaum said. “You can go much
farther to mimic features of a Michael Jackson, who is himself a plastic
surgical joke, than to create a resemblance to someone who has never had
surgery.”
Paying homage to a specific body part is also an option. Patients often
visit a surgeon’s office armed with a photograph of their favorite celebrity
feature.
Stacy Shanahan’s fantasy doppelgänger is Heather Locklear, circa the
Sammy Jo Carrington years. Ms. Shanahan, 49, an account executive for a
packing company in Mission Viejo, Calif., would give her right cheekbone
to acquire the luster of Ms. Locklear, with whom she shares the attributes
of blond hair, bluegreen eyes and delicate features.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I’d be happy being more like her,” Ms.
Shanahan said. “I wouldn’t miss how I look. She’s beautiful.”
Ms. Shanahan was so determined that she asked Dr. Burr von Maur of
Newport Beach, Calif., a plastic surgeon who had given her a breast lift, to
help. Dr. von Maur ended up performing a nose job on Ms. Shanahan (the
cost: $6,500) to evoke the “spirit” of Ms. Locklear.
“You can never duplicate something; you can’t clone somebody,” he
said. “It’s best to enhance the patient’s own features, so we can unearth the2/6/2014 With Plastic Surgery, a Makeover to Look Like a Celebrity – NYTimes.com
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/plasticsurgery/ 3/5
beauty that lies underneath without radically altering their appearance.”
Doctors say that a significant part of their job is weeding out patients
with a legitimate medical or aesthetic concern — arbitrary in itself — from
those suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, an intense preoccupation
with a minor or imagined flaw in one’s appearance.
“I had a patient who went from doctor to doctor trying to get surgery
to look like Brad Pitt,” said Dr. Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist and
psychiatrist on the Upper East Side. “There was this sense of, ‘My life will
be so much better if I had this person’s X, Y or Z.’ It can become an
obsession.”
Many doctors have ethical concerns about these sorts of queries. For
example, what if a patient is deemed psychologically healthy and still
wants to look like the devil? Should a doctor comply? Or what if a patient
earns his living as a Michael Jackson impersonator, and wants surgery to
enhance his career? A French artist, Orlan, after all, has used her face as a
surgical canvas to question established notions of beauty.
“You respect a patient’s autonomy,” said Leonard Fleck, a professor of
philosophy and medical ethics in the college of human medicine at
Michigan State University. However, if a doctor thinks the patient’s choice
is misguided, “he is not morally obligated to follow their wishes,” Dr. Fleck
said. “He can say, ‘I feel that that’s a really bad idea.’ ”
Joan Kron, the author of “Lift: Wanting, Fearing and Having a Face
Lift” and the contributing editor at large for Allure, said she believed that
it was a doctor’s responsibility to fulfill a patient’s wishes, within reason,
without imposing his or her own opinion.
“Most doctors are trained to ask you why you’re there,” Ms. Kron said.
“That’s usually the first question. If the doctor grabs you before you even
open your mouth and says, ‘I’ve got to fix your nose,’ I would walk out.”
As for the more outlandish requests, she questioned whether they
were any worse than other culturally accepted modes of body
modification.
“Is it worse to look like a cat or worse to be decorated on every inch of2/6/2014 With Plastic Surgery, a Makeover to Look Like a Celebrity – NYTimes.com
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/plasticsurgery/ 4/5
your skin with tattoos?” she said. If you want to look like a cat, she added,
“maybe you should be encouraged to have a dress rehearsal with makeup
first, to see if you really want to live with that look.”
Liberace’s former boyfriend, Scott Thorson, said he thought patients
should be able to do as they wish. When Mr. Thorson was 20, Dr. Jack
Startz performed rhinoplasty on him, gave him a chin implant and
restructured his cheekbones to look similar to Liberace’s.
Mr. Thorson, now 54, said that he was happy with his face, although
he did remove the chin implant.
“I’ve gotten so used to it,” he said. “People can do what they want to
do. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.”
Neither does Deborah Davenport, 41, who owns a real estate
technology consulting firm in McKinney, Tex. For years, Ms. Davenport
was told that she was a dead ringer for the actress Cameron Diaz, which
did not please her.
“My nose just seems to get fatter and fatter every year, Ms. Davenport
said. “I look at photos and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening to
me?’ ”
She asked herself whom she would want to look like, and after
scouring magazines and movies, the answer arrived: Kate Winslet. She
went to Dr. Lam in Dallas, who shaved cartilage from her nose, injected
the dermal filler Sculptra to plump out her cheeks and squirted a little
Botox into her forehead and around her eyes to make her more
Winslettish. The bill was $15,000.
Few things satisfy Ms. Davenport as much as when she is told she has
a likeness to the Oscarwinning star. Never mind that Ms. Winslet has said
she is opposed to plastic surgery.
The irony hasn’t escaped Ms. Davenport.
“Here I am trying to have surgery to look like someone I think hasn’t
had surgery,” she said.
A version of this article appears in print on January 16, 2014, on page E1 of the New York edition
with the headline: That Nose, That Chin, Those Lips.2/6/2014 With Plastic Surgery, a Makeover to Look Like a Celebrity – NYTime

Study reveals that whole diet approach have more evidence for reducing cardiovascular risk

Published on February 6, 2014 at 4:51 AM ·

A study published in The American Journal of Medicine reveals that a whole diet approach, which focuses on increased intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish, has more evidence for reducing cardiovascular risk than strategies that focus exclusively on reduced dietary fat. This new study explains that while strictly low-fat diets have the ability to lower cholesterol, they are not as conclusive in reducing cardiac deaths. By analyzing major diet and heart disease studies conducted over the last several decades, investigators found that participants directed to adopt a whole diet approach instead of limiting fat intake had a greater reduction in cardiovascular death and non-fatal myocardial infarction.

Early investigations of the relationship between food and heart disease linked high levels of serum cholesterol to increased intake of saturated fat, and subsequently, an increased rate of coronary heart disease. This led to the American Heart Association’s recommendation to limit fat intake to less than 30% of daily calories, saturated fat to 10%, and cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day.

“Nearly all clinical trials in the 1960s, 70s and 80s compared usual diets to those characterized by low total fat, low saturated fat, low dietary cholesterol, and increased polyunsaturated fats,” says study co-author James E. Dalen, MD, MPH, Weil Foundation, and University of Arizona College of Medicine. “These diets did reduce cholesterol levels. However they did not reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease deaths.”

Carefully analyzing studies and trials from 1957 to the present, investigators found that the whole diet approach, and specifically Mediterranean-style diets, are effective in preventing heart disease, even though they may not lower total serum or LDLcholesterol. The Mediterranean-style diet is low in animal products and saturated fat, and encourages intake of monounsaturated fats found in nuts and olive oil. In particular, the diet emphasizes consumption of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, and fish.

“The potency of combining individual cardioprotective foods is substantial – and perhaps even stronger than many of the medications and procedures that have been the focus of modern cardiology,” explains co-author Stephen Devries, MD, FACC, Gaples Institute for Integrative Cardiology (Deerfield, IL) and Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University (Chicago, IL). “Results from trials emphasizing dietary fat reduction were a disappointment, prompting subsequent studies incorporating a wholediet approach with a more nuanced recommendation for fat intake.”

Based on the data from several influential studies, which are reviewed in the article, Dalen and Devries concluded that emphasizing certain food groups, while encouraging people to decrease others, is more cardioprotective and overall better at preventing heart disease than a blanket low-fat diet. Encouraging the consumption of olive oil over butter and cream, while increasing the amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and fish promises to be more effective.

“The last fifty years of epidemiology and clinical trials have established a clear link between diet, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular events,” concludes Dr. Dalen. “Nutritional interventions have proven that a ‘whole diet’ approach with equal attention to what is consumed as well as what is excluded is more effective in preventingcardiovascular disease than low fat, low cholesterol diets.”

Conical polyurethane implants: An uplifting augmentation

Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 01/06/2014

Georgeu GA, et al. – The authors discuss the advantages of conical implants as an alternative to conventional silicone implants for women with breast ptosis. The modern conical, polyurethane implant has many advantages over the conventional round or anatomically shaped implants and offers patients an ideal compromise between volume, natural upper pole fullness, and a lift without mastopexy scars.

Methods

In the 2-year period between December 2010 and December 2012, a consecutive series of 302 women underwent implant-based breast surgery procedures (236 primary augmentations, 59 revisions, and 7 mastopexy-augmentations) with conical polyurethane devices.
Implant volumes ranged from 225 to 560 cc, with low- to medium-profile devices predominating.
No extra–high-profile implants were used.
Only 1 patient had a drain inserted on completion of a revision augmentation.

Results

There were no infections (0%) and no wound dehiscence (0%).
Four cases required reoperation (1.3%).
Patient satisfaction scores were universally high (average, 9.94/10).
There have been no capsular contractures to date, but follow-up is short.

Inferior turbinoplasty during cosmetic rhinoplasty: Techniques and trends

Annals of Plastic Surgery, 01/03/2014

Tanna N, et al. – The aim of this study was to identify practice patterns among plastic surgeons who perform inferior turbinoplasty during rhinoplasty. The results of this survey provide insights into the current preferences in inferior turbinate reduction surgery. Plastic surgeons are performing more conventional methods of turbinate reduction rather than taking advantage of the many of the more novel technology–driven methods.

Methods

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons were invited to participate in an anonymous, Internet-based survey containing questions related to personal preferences and outcomes in inferior turbinate surgery.

Results

A total of 534 members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons participated in the survey.
Most (71.7%) trained in an independent plastic surgery program with prerequisite training in general surgery.
More than half (50.6%) had more than 20 years of operative experience; only 15.2% reported performing greater than 40 rhinoplasties per year.
The 5 most preferred inferior turbinate reduction techniques were outfracture of the turbinates (49.1%), partial turbinectomy (33.3%), submucous reduction via electrocautery (25.3%), submucous resection (23.6%), and electrocautery (22.5%).
Fewer than 10% of the respondents reported the use of newer techniques such as radiofrequency thermal ablation (5.6%), use of the microdebrider (2.2%), laser cautery (1.1%), or cryosurgery (0.6%).
Mucosal crusting and desiccation were the most frequently reported complications.

Correlation between subjective and objective results in nasal surgery

Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 02/05/2014

Murrell GL, et al. – The author presents his experience measuring nasal function subjectively and objectively before and after functional nasal surgery. The findings provide statistically significant evidence to support surgical treatment of nasal obstruction.

Methods

Between March 2011 and June 2012, a total of 119 consecutive patients with nasal obstruction underwent rhinoplasty with a variety of septorhinoplasty techniques.
Results were evaluated with a scientifically validated patient questionnaire as well as pre- and postoperative rhinomanometry measurement comparisons.
Preoperative and postoperative rhinomanometry measurements were standard protocol, and the rhinomanometry measurements were designed as a prospective study.

Results

Ninety of the 119 patients had postoperative rhinomanometry measurements that could be compared with preoperative values, and these patients were included in the study.
Statistically significant subjective and objective functional improvements were reported in 98.9% and 95.6% of patients, respectively, while 94.4% of patients had both subjective and objective statistically significant functional improvement.
A statistically significant correlation between the subjective and objective improvements was noted.

How Anti-Aging Costmetics Work

Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery

Seniors / Aging

Dermatology

A team of investigators from UC Davis and Peking University have discovered a mechanism that may explain how alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs) — the key ingredient in cosmetic chemical peels and wrinkle-reducing creams – work to enhance skin appearance. An understanding of the underlying process may lead to better cosmetic formulations as well as have medical applications.

The findings were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in an article entitled “Intracellular proton-mediated activation of TRPV3 channels accounts for exfoliation effect of alpha hydroxyl acids on keratinocytes.”

AHAs are a group of weak acids typically derived from natural sources such as sugar cane, sour milk, apples and citrus that are well known in the cosmetics industry for their ability to enhance the appearance and texture of skin. Before this research, little was known about how AHAs actually caused skin to flake off and expose fresh, underlying skin.

The cellular pathway the research team studied focuses on an ion channel — known as transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) — located in the cell membrane of keratinocytes, the predominant cell type in the outer layer of skin. The channel is known from other studies to play an important role in normal skin physiology and temperature sensitivity.

In a series of experiments that involved recording electrical currents across cultured cells exposed to AHAs, the investigators developed a model that describes how glycolic acid (the smallest and most biologically available AHA) enters into keratinocytes and generates free protons, creating acidic conditions within the cell. The low pH strongly activates the TRPV3 ion channel, opening it and allowing calciumions to flow into the cell. Because more protons also enter through the open TRPV3 channel, the process feeds on itself. The resulting calcium ion overload in the cell leads to its death and skin exfoliation.

“Our experiments are the first to show that the TRPV3 ion channel is likely to be the target of the most effective skin enhancer in the cosmetics industry,” said Jie Zheng, professor of physiology and membrane biology at UC Davis and one of the principal investigators of the study. “Although AHAs have been used for years, no one until now understood their likely mechanism of action.”

Besides being found in skin cells, TRPV3 also is found in cells in many areas of the nervous system and is sensitive to temperature as well as acidity. The authors speculate that the channel may have a variety of important physiological functions, including pain control.

Lead author Xu Cao, who conducted the study with UC Davis scientists as a visiting student from Peking University Health Science Center, focuses on TRPV3 channel research. With a team of researchers in China, he recently contributed to the discovery that a mutation in TRPV3 leads to Olmsted syndrome, a rare congenital disorder characterized by severe itching and horny skin development over the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. While in the UC Davis Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, Cao discovered that AHAs also utilize the TRPV3 channel.

“Calcium channels are becoming increasingly recognized as having vital functions in skin physiology,” said Cao. “TRPV3 has the potential to become an important target not only for the cosmetics industry but for analgesia and treating skin disease.”

The Secret About Cosmetic Surgery That Doctors Are Hiding

Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery

Medical Practice Management

Editors’ Choice

A secret about cosmetic surgery exists that several physicians are hiding from their patients.

The truth is many doctors performing cosmetic surgery in the USA are not actually cosmetic surgeons, a claim made by a growing number of board certified cosmetic surgeons around the country.

Currently, there are doctors who specialize in other areas who have little to no experience in plastic surgery who are performing these procedures.

They include:

gynecologists
dermatologists
pediatricians
family physicians
dentists
radiologists

Board certified cosmetic surgeons have started campaigning in order to make patients aware that their cosmetic surgery doctor may not be a board certified cosmetic surgeon. They also aim to shed some light on common myths that exist concerning cosmetic and plastic surgery.

MYTH: Cosmetic surgery can be performed by any doctor.

FACT: In-depth training as well as a lot of experience are needed to perform plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery.

If a physician from another specialty does a weekend course on cosmetic surgery, this in no way qualifies them as a board certified cosmetic surgeon.

Dr. Malcolm Z. Roth, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said in September 2011 that one of the major problems in cosmetic surgery is the lack of proper training and practical skills which causes rookie surgeons to leave patients with some serious problems, including excessive scarring, the removal of too much fat, infections, and even gangrene.

Dr. Roth, said “Sometimes, lengthy procedures will be done on people who are not medically suitable for them ….. If you have somebody who’s not surgically trained, they [don’t know] how to decide who’s a good or bad candidate for surgery. We’ve had people go to the ER with deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks, and unfortunately, not infrequently now, we’re hearing about death.”

The safest places for surgical procedures are:

accredited hospitals
certified out-patient facilities

Dr. Elan Reisin, medical director of Star Plastic Surgery, said:

“Often, physicians who are not board certified in plastic surgery do not have privileges to perform plastic surgery procedures and are only able to do them in their office setting, which may put you at risk.”

Patients should see a plastic surgeon who is board certified in reconstructive and plastic surgery, suggested Dr. Reisin.

A previous campaign by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons announced that patients should check out their doctor’s qualifications before allowing them to perform a plastic surgery procedure.

Training for both general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery needs to be completed in order for plastic surgeons to be board certified.

Additionally, when a cosmetic surgeon is board certified it means they he/she has spent 3 to 5 years of residency or fellowship training centered primarily on plastic surgery.

Dr. Reisin made a list of five questions that every patient should ask before selecting a surgeon:

Are you board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery
Do you practice another specialty besides plastic surgery? Or do you only practice plastic surgery?
Did you complete a residency in general surgery AND in plastic surgery?
Does your malpractice insurance cover the surgical operations that I am thinking about?
Do you have privileges to perform the plastic surgery procedures that I am thinking about in hospitals? Which hospitals?

Written by Sarah Glynn

The Secret About Cosmetic Surgery That Doctors Are Hiding

Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery

Medical Practice Management

Editors’ Choice

A secret about cosmetic surgery exists that several physicians are hiding from their patients.The truth is many doctors performing cosmetic surgery in the USA are not actually cosmetic surgeons, a claim made by a growing number of board certified cosmetic surgeons around the country.

Currently, there are doctors who specialize in other areas who have little to no experience in plastic surgery who are performing these procedures.

They include:

gynecologists
dermatologists
pediatricians
family physicians
dentists
radiologists

MYTH: Cosmetic surgery can be performed by any doctor.

FACT: In-depth training as well as a lot of experience are needed to perform plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery.

If a physician from another specialty does a weekend course on cosmetic surgery, this in no way qualifies them as a board certified cosmetic surgeon.

The safest places for surgical procedures are:

accredited hospitals
certified out-patient facilities

Dr. Elan Reisin, medical director of Star Plastic Surgery, said:

“Often, physicians who are not board certified in plastic surgery do not have privileges to perform plastic surgery procedures and are only able to do them in their office setting, which may put you at risk.”

Patients should see a plastic surgeon who is board certified in reconstructive and plastic surgery, suggested Dr. Reisin.

A previous campaign by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons announced that patients should check out their doctor’s qualifications before allowing them to perform a plastic surgery procedure.

Training for both general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery needs to be completed in order for plastic surgeons to be board certified.

Additionally, when a cosmetic surgeon is board certified it means they he/she has spent 3 to 5 years of residency or fellowship training centered primarily on plastic surgery.

Dr. Reisin made a list of five questions that every patient should ask before selecting a surgeon:

Are you board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery
Do you practice another specialty besides plastic surgery? Or do you only practice plastic surgery?
Did you complete a residency in general surgery AND in plastic surgery?
Does your malpractice insurance cover the surgical operations that I am thinking about?
Do you have privileges to perform the plastic surgery procedures that I am thinking about in hospitals? Which hospitals?

Written by Sarah Glynn

Fresh faced: Looking younger for longer

Date:

January 10, 2014

Source:

Newcastle University

Newcastle University researchers have identified an antioxidant Tiron, which offers total protection against some types of sun damage and may ultimately help our skin stay looking younger for longer.

Publishing in The FASEB Journal, the authors describe how in laboratory tests, they compared the protection offered against either UVA radiation or free radical stress by several antioxidants, some of which are found in foods or cosmetics. While UVB radiation easily causes sunburn, UVA radiation penetrates deeper, damaging our DNA by generating free radicals which degrades the collagen that gives skin its elastic quality.

The Newcastle team found that the most potent anti-oxidants were those that targeted the batteries of the skin cells, known as the mitochondria. They compared these mitochondrial-targeted anti-oxidants to other non-specific antioxidants such as resveratrol, found in red wine, and curcumin found in curries, that target the entire cell. They found that the most potent mitochondrial targeted anti-oxidant was Tiron which provided 100%, protection of the skin cell against UVA sun damage and the release of damaging enzymes causing stress-induced damage.

Author, Mark Birch-Machin, Professor of Molecular Dermatology at Newcastle University said: “To discover that Tiron offers complete protection against UVA damage is exciting and promising, however, it is early days as Tiron is not a naturally occurring compound and has not yet been tested for toxicity in humans although there have been a few studies on rats.”

Of the work which was funded by BBSRC and Unilever, co-author at Newcastle University Dr Anne Oyewole said: “This finding on Tiron provides us with a platform to study an antioxidant — preferably a naturally occurring compound with a similar structure which could then be safely added to food or cosmetics.”

DNA damage

Our skin ages due to the constant exposure to sunlight as ultraviolet radiation from the sun penetrates cells and increases the number of damaging free radicals, especially the reactive oxygen species. Too many reactive oxygen species can be harmful because they can damage the DNA within our cells.

Over time, this can lead to the accumulation of mutations which speed up aging and destroy the skin’s supportive fibers, collagen and elastin, causing wrinkles. Recent studies strongly suggest the damage caused by reactive oxygen species may also initiate and exacerbate the development of skin cancers.

Antioxidants in our diets from green tea, resveratrol which is found in red wine, turmeric which is used in curries and lycopene found in tomatoes, as well as some components in cosmetic creams, are known to neutralise this damage within the cells. They can slow down the damage and the rate of aging and potentially lower the rate of other sun-induced skin lesions.

Method

The method developed offers the first test which enables the comparison of different antioxidants for their potency in a skin cell based system.

Skin cells treated with a panel of antioxidants were exposed to a physiological dose of ultraviolet A radiation — that is, the same dose that our skin would normally be exposed to on a warm summer’s day. The DNA within the skin cells was then copied using a polymerase chain reaction machine, in order to assess the amount of DNA damage present.

Using this method, Tiron which has the chemical composition 4,5-Dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid disodium salt monohydrate was revealed to provide 100% protection against mitochondrial DNA damage.

Resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine, was found to protect against 22% of both the ultraviolet A radiation and stress-induced damage. NAC, a frequently used laboratory-based anti-oxidant, offered 20% protection against oxidative stress and 8% against UVA and curcumin offered 16% protection against oxidative stress and 8% against UVA.

In comparison Tiron offered 100% protection against UVA radiation and 100% protection against oxidative stress.

The team intends to take the work forward by further understanding the mechanism of how Tiron works, developing a compound similar to Tiron and testing for toxicity in humans. They say it will be several years before it is ready for use as a skin product or supplement.

Cure for baldness? Hair-follicle-generating stem cells bring hope

Wednesday 29 January 2014 – 8am PST

Dermatology

Stem Cell Research

Biology / Biochemistry

Featured ArticleAcademic Journal

According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men will experience hair loss by the age of 35. But women are also affected, making up 40% of all hair loss sufferers. Affecting self-image and emotional well-being, the condition has been a difficult one to treat. But a new study brings hope – in the form of human hair-follicle-generating stem cells.

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have published results of their study in Nature, where they describe the method by which they were able to convert adult cells into epithelial stem cells (EpSCs).

Although using stem cells to regrow hair follicles has been a potential technique for combatting baldness, until now, nobody has been able to produce enough of these cells.

The team says they are the first to achieve this result in either humans or mice.

Led by Dr. Xiaowei “George” Xu, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, the scientists started their research by using human skin cells called dermal fibroblasts.

How did the team produce the cells?

The researchers converted the human skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by adding three genes. These iPSCs are able to change into any cell types in the body, so the researchers converted them into epithelial stem cells, which are normally found in a part of hair follicles.

The arrows show hair shafts, which were formed by iPSC-derived epithelial stem cells.
Image credit: Ruifeng Yang, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Using techniques from other research teams to convert iPSCs into keratinocytes – a main cell type in the top layer of the skin – Dr. Xu and colleagues showed they could “force” the iPSCs to make large quantities of EpSCs by controlling the timing of growth factors the cells received.

When they implanted these EpSCs into mice, the cells regenerated cell types of human skin and hair follicles, and also created recognizable hair shafts, which the team says shows promise for eventually regrowing hair in humans.

In 18 days, 25% of the iPSCs converted into EpSCs, which were then purified using the proteins expressed on their surfaces, the team notes.

Technique ‘not yet ready for humans’

After mixing the human-derived EpSCs with dermal cells from mice, the team grafted them onto the skin of the mice and produced a functional human epidermis – the outermost layers of the skin.

The hair follicles that were produced from this, notes the team, were structurally similar to human hair follicles.

Dr. Xu says that this “is the first time anyone has made scalable amounts of epithelial stem cells that are capable of generating the epithelial component of hair follicles,” adding that the cells could aid in wound healing, cosmetics and hair regeneration.

However, these cells are not yet ready for use in humans because the team has only solved one part of the equation. A hair follicle contains both epithelial cells and a certain kind of adult stem cell called dermal papillae.

Dr. Xu explains:

“When a person loses hair, they lose both types of cells. We have solved one major problem, the epithelial component of the hair follicle. We need to figure out a way to also make new dermal papillae cells, and no one has figured that part out yet.”

However, he adds that stem-cell researchers are beginning to use new strategies using only chemical agents, which could result in more solutions.

In late 2013, Medical News Today reported on a study that showed how scientists successfully grew human hairs from dermal papilla cells taken from the inside of donor hair follicles, suggesting we are a step closer to a cure for baldness.

Written by Marie Ellis

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