High-Throughput Screening of 3D Co-Culture Hair Follicle Mimetic Tissue with Enhanced ECM for the Screening of Hair Growth Promoting Compounds
January 2024
in “
Biomaterials Research
”
TLDR The new 3D system helps test hair growth treatments effectively.
The study introduces a novel 3D co-culture system that mimics the in vivo extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics crucial for hair follicle development and regeneration. This system uses primary dermal papilla cells from human patients co-cultured with neonatal keratinocytes, forming uniform spheroids that closely resemble native ECM structures. The model supports high-throughput screening, allowing for the evaluation of approximately 60 spheroids per well, and demonstrates consistent cellular organization and enhanced ECM-related gene expression. This platform provides a robust and reproducible method for assessing potential hair loss treatments, advancing the development of therapeutic candidates through effective epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.