Cryopreservation of Hair-Follicle Associated Pluripotent Stem Cells Maintains Differentiation and Hair-Growth Potential
January 2016
in “
Advances in experimental medicine and biology
”
cryopreservation hair follicles slow-rate cooling TC-Protector DMSO pluripotency hair follicle-associated pluripotent stem cells HAP stem cells differentiation hair spheres glycerol transplantation hair fiber growth regenerative medicine hair transplantation dimethyl sulfoxide stem cells hair growth hair transplant
TLDR Freezing and storing special stem cells from hair follicles keeps their ability to grow hair and turn into different cell types.
The study demonstrated that cryopreservation of hair follicles using slow-rate cooling in TC-Protector or DMSO-containing medium effectively maintained the pluripotency and hair growth potential of hair follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells. After thawing, these cells could differentiate into various cell types, including neurons and glial cells, and formed hair spheres similar to those from fresh follicles. DMSO was found to be more effective than glycerol for cryopreservation. Transplantation of DMSO-cryopreserved follicles into nude mice resulted in significant hair fiber growth over 8 weeks, indicating functional recovery. This method supports the potential use of HAP stem cells in regenerative medicine and hair transplantation.
