Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Fully Functional Hair Follicle Regeneration Through the Rearrangement of Stem Cells and Their Niches
September 2012
in “
Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
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hair follicle regeneration stem cells bioengineering embryonic skin-derived cells adult vibrissa stem cell region-derived cells pelage vibrissae epidermis arrector pili muscle nerve fibers hair cycles piloerection organ replacement therapy embryonic skin cells adult vibrissa stem cells hair whiskers skin muscle hair growth cycles hair erection organ replacement
TLDR Scientists successfully created fully functional hair follicles using bioengineering methods and stem cells.
In 2012, Toyoshima KE and colleagues reported on a study where they successfully regenerated fully functional hair follicles using a bioengineering method they had previously developed. They used embryonic skin-derived cells and adult vibrissa stem cell region-derived cells to reconstitute pelage and vibrissae. The bioengineered hair follicles were evaluated for functionality, showing proper connections with the epidermis, arrector pili muscle, and nerve fibers. The follicles also demonstrated restored hair cycles and piloerection. This study represented a basic step towards bioengineered organ replacement therapy.
