Hair Germinal Matrix Cells (HGMC)

The germinal matrix is a highly cellular and highly vascularized region in the brain from which cells migrate out during brain development. The germinal matrix is the source of both neurons and glial cells and is most active between 8 and 28 weeks gestation. It is a fragile portion of the brain that may be damaged leading to an intracranial hemorrhage known as a germinal matrix hemorrhage. During the active hair growth phase, germinal matrix cells rapidly proliferate and differentiate into cell lineages for all the follicle layers, causing the hair to elongate. Keratinization, the terminal differentiation to stabilize the complex of intermediate filaments and matrix of keratin-associated proteins, then takes place to anchor the hair in the follicle. Hair Germinal Matrix Cells (HGMC) are immunologically privileged and the germinal matrix of the implanted dermal papilla cells have the ability to induce new hair follicle formation, which suggests that it may be possible to treat hair loss using follicular cell implantation.