Follicular microautotransplantation in the treatment of patients with scalp scarring defects

Objective: to evaluate the efficiency of follicular microautotransplantation in the treatment of scarring alopecia.Subjects and methods. The results of surgical treatment were analyzed in 62 patients with scalp scars at various sites after injuries, burns, and surgery. Surgical treatment was performed using follicular microautotransplantation. The surgery was made as an outpatient procedure (the patients did not need hospitalization) and it involved 4 basic stages. The efficiency of the surgical treatment for scarring alopecia was evaluated, by analyzing its early and late results. Gender, age, etiology, and scar time did not affect the results of the treatment.Results. The early surgical results were assessed from indicators, such as the proportion of surviving grafts and the quality of restored hair. The late results were followed up for at least 9 months. The maximum follow-up was 2.8 years. The engraftment rate of transplanted follicles averaged 93.8%; it was 96.6% for a normotrophic scar.Conclusion. Transfer of own hair by follicular microautotransplantation is an effective surgical treatment in patients with scalp scarring defects; it yields a good cosmetic effect and substantially improves quality of life in patients with scarring alopecia

The Rho GEFs LARG and GEF-H1 regulate the mechanical response to force on integrins

How individual cells respond to mechanical forces is of considerable interest to biologists as force affects many aspects of cell behavior1. Application of force on integrins triggers cytoskeletal rearrangements and growth of the associated adhesion complex, resulting in increased cellular stiffness2,3, also known as reinforcement4. While RhoA has been shown to play a role during reinforcement3, the molecular mechanisms that regulate its activity are unknown. By combining biochemical and biophysical approaches, we identified two guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), LARG and GEF-H1, as key molecules that regulate the cellular adaptation to force. We show that stimulation of integrins with tensional force triggers activation of these two GEFs and their recruitment to adhesion complexes. Surprisingly, activation of LARG and GEF-H1 involves distinct signaling pathways. Our results reveal that LARG is activated by the Src family tyrosine kinase Fyn, whereas GEF-H1 catalytic activity is enhanced by ERK downstream of a signaling cascade that includes FAK and Ras. To analyze the effect of force on RhoA activity we applied a constant force for different amounts of time on fibronectin (FN)-coated beads using a permanent magnet. Consisten