The Hair Follicle: An Important Cellular Source in Tissue Engineering

The 2014 study by Porriño et al. highlighted the hair follicle as a complex microscopic organ with a variety of cell types, including stem cells. The hair follicle, particularly its bulge area, was identified as the most important niche of stem cells in the skin, with the added advantage of easy accessibility. These stem cells were found to be responsible for hair follicle regeneration each hair cycle, and could also form sebaceous glands and help in repopulation of the interfollicular epidermis after injury. The study also noted that recent research had differentiated follicle stem cells into different strains, such as nervous, hematopoietic, and vascular cells. The potential for human hair follicle regeneration was suggested to be a revolutionary development in the field of alopecia.