The main problem of regenerative medicine is the restoration of body tissues after injuries. Aesthetic medicine also uses the achievements of regenerative medicine in order to rejuvenate and improve the appearance, activating the regenerative functions of cells and, accordingly, tissues. One of the most modern methods of rejuvenation and hair regrowth is the use of growth factors.
Our cells can be stimulated by growth factors, which, along with stem cells, are one of the cornerstones of regenerative medicine. Once the signal is received, stem cells begin to repair any tissue damaged by injury, disease, or even aging. This signal is given by growth factors.
What are growth factors
Growth Factors – are low molecular weight proteins capable of controlling cell growth by stimulating or inhibiting cell proliferation in tissues or organs.
Growth Factors & Growth Hormones – they are different concepts. There are separate growth factors for each cell type, most of which were discovered by accident during cancer research. For example, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) affects the growth of blood vessels and neurons. They help to improve vision (retina), gastric regulation and secretion, as well as the production of hormones such as prolactin or thyroid-stimulating hormone.
Other growth factors are involved in the development of the embryo. Growth factors such as granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) can also be distinguished, which stimulate the reproduction of white blood cells, erythropoietin (which is involved in the reproduction of red blood cells), and thrombopoietin (which allows platelets to multiply).
There are also many other growth factors that affect cell growth, such as epidermal growth factors (EGFs) or fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). Some growth factors contribute to the formation of blood vessels (vascular endothelial growth factor – VEGF or platelet growth factors – PDGF).
The effect of growth factors
Growth factors can act either on the cell membrane or inside its nucleus. After attaching to a receptor located in a certain part of the cell, in which a certain growth factor acts, the latter is activated. As a result of the activation of the growth factor, the production of another chemical molecule called the "second messenger" is launched. These mechanisms underlie the chemical reaction that results in the production of a regulatory protein, i.e. a protein that is able to speed up or slow down all these phenomena.
In the nucleus of cells, these proteins attach to genes (which are located on chromosomes and trigger the production of the elements that make up the cell) that are involved in both cell division and differentiation, thus affecting their level of activity.
Thus, growth factors are able to stimulate or limit (depending on the case) the synthesis of new tissues, as well as their growth and recovery from injuries.
Because each cell has its own characteristics and characteristics, growth factors can determine more or less active cell division, tissue volume and cell differentiation. Thus, a blood cell does not perform the same functions as a hormonal cell or a bone cell.
Growth factors are involved in the formation of new cells and, accordingly, new tissues. They play a crucial role in the process of recovery after injury. The specific nature of each cell and tissue directly depends on the action of growth factors: blood tissue, glandular tissue, which is responsible for the secretion of hormones, bone tissue, which makes up the skeleton, etc.
The use of growth factors in aesthetic medicine
The benefits of regenerative medicine can also be used in aesthetic medicine. Injections of autologous growth factors (taken from the patient's own body) into the face, décolleté or even the scalp to combat progressive baldness are a natural alternative to traditional treatments used in aesthetic medicine.
Growth factors are obtained from the patient's own blood and then injected into areas where it is necessary to stimulate fibroblasts (endogenous collagen production) or hair follicles. Growth factors allow not only to activate stem cells in the scalp for the purpose of hair growth, but also to optimize blood microcirculation in the scalp, which is the main engine of cell biostimulation, by saturating it with oxygen and essential nutrients. This is the reason for the use of growth factors in aesthetic medicine.
Source estet-portal.com
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