Culture of the Human Pilosebaceous Unit, Hair Follicle, and Sebaceous Gland

The review article from May 1, 2018, by Michael P. Philpott focuses on the development of in vitro culture models for human hair follicles, pilosebaceous units, and sebaceous glands. These models are essential for understanding hair biology and testing treatments for hair disorders. The article addresses the challenges of obtaining hair follicles due to less invasive surgery techniques and the need for new models using cell lines and tissue engineering. It also discusses the role of these models in reducing animal testing. The review provides guidelines for hair follicle organ culture models and notes that not all skin samples are suitable for hair follicle isolation. It mentions the culture of terminal pilosebaceous units, which can produce hair fibers in culture, and the isolation and culture of sebaceous glands for studying the effects of androgens and retinoids. The document highlights the limitations of cultured hair follicles, such as their short lifespan in vitro and the difficulty in modeling the complete hair cycle.