A newly discovered species of spider named after Karl Lagerfeld
Five new species of spiders have been discovered and identified in Australia. The group also includes a strange example named after the Hamburg-born fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019). The Australian jumping spider is now officially classified under the name Jotus karllagerfeldi.
Columbia University researchers are developing a novel method to grow human hair follicles using 3D printing technology. This is the first time such cells have been grown entirely in laboratory conditions, meaning an unlimited source of hair follicles for future hair restoration surgical procedures.
In the last few decades the...Hair transplantdeveloped rapidly. However, the process still essentially relied on moving hair follicles from one part of the body to another. Growing human hair follicles in laboratory conditions has proven challenging for researchers, ultimately limiting the effectiveness of hair restoration surgeries, particularly in patients without pre-existing, transplantable hair.
The new breakthrough combines some of the latest innovations. First, the researchers used 3D printing technology to create unique plastic molds with protruding extensions half a millimeter wide. These shapes served as a microenvironment that mimicked the natural environment of human hair follicles.
“Previous manufacturing techniques could not create such thin hair. The process has been greatly facilitated by innovations in 3D printing technology,” explains the study’s first author, Erbil Abaci.
The team grew human skin around the shape. Hair follicle cells were implanted into the depressions and covered with keratin-producing cells. Ingredients were also added to the cells to stimulate hair growth. In less than three weeks, human hair follicles capable of producing hair growth appeared.
“We showed that we could essentially create a hair farm: a grid of hairs that are correctly structured and developed so that they can be transferred back to the scalp of the same patient,” says Angela Christiano, lead author of the study.
While the method requires further optimization and improvement, it has the potential to establish a sustainable source of natural hair for transplants. The innovation will not only help patients in need of hair restoration surgery, but could also find use in pharmaceutical research. This allows large quantities of human hair follicles to be artificially grown for experiments.
