Bulge-Derived Epithelial Cells Isolated From Human Hair Follicles Using Enzymatic Digestion Or Explants Result In Comparable Tissue-Engineered Skin

    February 2025 in “ International Journal of Molecular Sciences ”
    Bettina Cattier, Rina Guignard, I. Martel, Christian Martel, Carolyne Simard‐Bisson, Danielle Larouche, B. Guiraud, S. Bessou‐Touya, Lucie Germain
    Studysummary This study found that an enzymatic digestion method for isolating hair follicle stem cells from scalp specimens yielded 5.3 times more epithelial cells than explant cultures, while supporting comparable cell functionality, offering a promising technique for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study compared two methods for isolating bulge-derived epithelial cells from human hair follicles: enzymatic digestion and explant culture. Enzymatic digestion was found to be superior, yielding 5.3 times more cells and a 1.7 times faster proliferation rate than explant culture. Both methods produced tissue-engineered skin with similar differentiation potential and structural integrity. The study highlights the potential of these cells for regenerative medicine, particularly in skin tissue engineering, although the predominance of female donors over 40 years old limits generalizability. Future research should include a more diverse donor population to validate these findings.
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