title: Fullerene nanomaterials potentiate hair growth.
abstract: Hair loss is a common symptom resulting from a wide range of disease processes and can lead to stress in affected individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fullerene nanomaterials on hair growth. We used shaved mice as well as SKH-1 "bald" mice to determine if fullerene-based compounds could affect hair growth and hair follicle numbers. In shaved mice, fullerenes increase the rate of hair growth as compared with mice receiving vehicle only. In SKH-1 hairless mice fullerene derivatives given topically or subdermally markedly increased hair growth. This was paralleled by a significant increase in the number of hair follicles in fullerene-treated mice as compared with those mice treated with vehicle only. The fullerenes also increased hair growth in human skin sections maintained in culture. These studies have wide-ranging implications for those conditions leading to hair loss, including alopecia, chemotherapy, and reactions to various chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Luna nanoWorks, a division of Luna Innovations Incorporated, Danville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lenk
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dellinger
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacFarland
authors.forename: Krishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kepley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes