The Evolutionary Purpose of Curly Hair: Cooling and Regrowth.
Researchers at Northwestern University have successfully gene-hacked mice to stimulate hair growth using microRNA to hack hair follicle stem cells. They found that a particular microRNA, miR-205, plays an important role in the softness of hair follicles. Manipulating mouse stem cells to produce more of this microRNA led to new hair growth in just 10 days. The researchers plan to test whether they can replicate the study results with a topical solution, which could pave the way for a new topical baldness treatment for humans.