A Matrix-Derived Bioactive Peptide Enhances Epidermal Thickness and Hair Follicle Neogenesis in Grafted Dermal-Epidermal Composites

The study investigates the effects of a bioactive peptide, TSN6, derived from multimerin-1, on skin grafts and hair follicle formation. The research demonstrated that TSN6 significantly enhances hair follicle neogenesis and increases epidermal thickness in dermal–epidermal composites. In a hair follicle reconstitution assay, TSN6 increased the number of hair fibers by 1.8-fold. The study involved grafting dermal–epidermal composites onto nude mice, where TSN6-treated composites retained all 14 grafts for 10-12 weeks, compared to lower retention in control groups. Histological analysis showed human hair follicles in 12 of 14 TSN6-treated composites, significantly more than in control groups. Additionally, TSN6 increased epidermal thickness to 127 ± 18 μm, compared to 70 ± 28 μm and 94 ± 18 μm in control groups. These findings suggest that TSN6 could be a promising agent for enhancing skin substitute efficacy and promoting hair growth.