Dr. Colin Jahoda
Location:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham
History:
He started to work in the area of hair follicle developmental biology with Amanda J. Reynolds under he leadership of Oliver, who is believed to be a pioner in this particular are ob Biology.
During the period of 30 years several works were published by this research group. They studies were mostly performed on the model of rat vibrissae hair follicle.
In Hair Cloning Systems directory of this web site you will find complite overview of their experiments.
Now: C. Jahoda tell about his group:
"Our research interests mainly relate to the developmental biology of embryonic and adult skin and skin appendages. Our aim is to understand fundamental
mechanisms in development, but we are applying our knowledge of the developmental biology of skin to dermatological problems and possible clinical
solutions. The research encompasses a diversity of approaches and a wide range of methodologies - from tissue interaction studies, through innovative cell
culture techniques, to molecular biology. We are currently funded by the BBSRC, and have been supported by MRC and the Wellcome Trust. Our group
consists of three postgraduate students, one technical assistant, one postdoctoral research assistant and one visiting researcher from Japan."
Recently his name became populiar due to short publication in Nature:
"Trans-gender induction of hair follicles
Amanda J. Reynolds; Clifford Lawrence; Peter B. Cserhalmi-Friedman; Angela M. Christiano; Colin Jahoda. Nature Volume 402 Number 6757 Page 033 - 34 (1999)"
Smal punch biopsies were taken from his scalp skin and from the hair follicle end bulbs dermal sheath and dermal papillae were isolated. Up to 11 pieces of dermal sheath were combined and implanted into small, shallow wounds on the inner forearm of his wife.
Transplanted dermal sheath is believed to induced fibres were distinct and often pigmented.Than, from induced follicles, 200 to 400 dermal papilla cells were removed and PCR-based gender determination was performad. Group claim, that results indicate, that dermal papillae were of mail origin and they contained X and Y chromosomes, while epithelial part of inducted hair follicles were of recipient, female orifin and they contained 2 X chromosomes.
On the basis of this smal series of experiments, they confirmed from one side the well extablished phenomena, that dermal sheath can induce new hair follicles as a result of interaction with hair follicle derived epithelial cells, most probably bulge stem cells (they were present in female forearm).
On the other hand, they claim, that male dermal sheath was not rejected by recipient body (they were totally imune incompatible). Therefore, the theory of dermal sheath imune privelege arise. From other studies, it is known, that DP and DS fibroblasts of hair follicles generally lack HLA markers on cell surface, therefore they are generally ''ignored" immune cells. But in this case he have deal with XY bearing dermal sheath bieng transplanted in XX body. Y chromosome encode several proteins (yet not to much), that are not encoded by X chromosome. Therefore immune system of female recipient should recognise and eliminate these new antigen bearing cells.
Also, according to technique, about 11 pieces of DS was transplanted in one incision. And according to their results, one hair was produced as a result of this transplantation. Therefore technically this study - is not Hair Follicle Multiplication. | 
