Stem cells in hair follicles do more than grow hair -- they can help the skin grow and could be used in new treatments of skin conditions such as psoriasis or certain types of skin cancer, a new study suggests.

Tung-Tien Sun of New York University School of Medicine and Robert Lavker of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report in Friday's edition of the journal Cell that they have tracked the offspring of the highly-adaptable stem cells from hair follicles to the surface of the skin itself, where the stem cells assume the job of growing new tissue.

The research is an offshoot of studies done in the 1970s, when biologists found that if a large portion of the skin's surface was scraped off a mouse or a rat, when the skin grew back ``it formed in small islands centered around the openings of the hair follicles,'' Lavker said in an interview with Reuters.

Lavker and Sun have now tracked the movement of the cells involved, tucked into a well-protected area of the follicle beneath the skin called the ``bulge.''

``Once we were able to specifically tag those cells, it was just a matter of seeing where they went over time,'' he said.

The research could be useful in developing treatments for skin conditions because hair follicle stem cells contribute to the growth of skin, which, when it reaches excessive levels, can cause psoriasis and some forms of skin cancer, Lavker said.

The work is not bad news for bald people either, said Lavker. Even if hair isn't growing from the follicles, they can still house stem cells to help the skin regenerate.

(From chinadaily.com.cn)