Abstract 82

The document presents two separate studies. The first study aimed to understand the differences between fetal and adult dermal papilla (DP) cells in hair follicle regeneration. DP cells from human fetal and adult scalp were compared, revealing that fetal DP cells have upregulated genes and pathways associated with stem cells and morphogenesis, which are absent or less active in adult DP cells. This suggests that these pathways may confer regenerative capacity. The study identified candidate transcription factors for potentially reprogramming adult dermal fibroblasts into fetal-like DP cells with hair follicle-inducing capacity. The second study compared the myogenic capacity of commercially available acellular dermal matrices (ADM) to native decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) for muscle regeneration in a rat model. The study found that decellularized muscle matrix (DCM) showed superior integration, neovascularization, and myogenesis compared to ADMs, with less inflammation and fibrosis at 30 and 60 days post-implantation. This suggests that DCM may be a better option for muscle regeneration in reconstructive applications.