Hair Follicle Regeneration Using Grafted Rodent and Human Cells

The study aimed to regenerate hair follicles using grafted rodent and human cells. The researchers found that hair follicle-like structures consisting of human keratinocytes and murine mesenchymal cells were generated, indicating that EMI function to a certain extent even between human and mouse cells. They also demonstrated that keratinocytes from glabrous skin can differentiate into follicular epithelia. However, the efficiency of adult epidermis generating chimeric hair follicle-like structures was lower than newborn foreskins, implying that there are only a small number of undifferentiated stem-like cells that have the potential to differentiate into follicular epithelium, and that number decreases with maturation. The study suggests that identifying suitable culture conditions and/or factors required to maintain the inductive property are high priorities for investigation.