Promotion of Hair Growth by a Conditioned Medium from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Cultivated in a 3D Scaffold of Gelatin Sponge

The study concludes that a conditioned medium from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HuMSCs) cultivated in a 3D gelatin sponge scaffold (GS-HuMSCs-CM) significantly promotes hair growth in C57BL/6J mice by inducing and prolonging the anagen phase and enhancing skin angiogenesis. The GS-HuMSCs-CM group showed superior hair regrowth compared to HuMSCs alone, with increased hair length, diameter, and growth rate, achieving 95%-100% hair coverage by day 14. The medium also promoted neo-angiogenesis, leading to higher blood vessel density, which supports hair growth. This suggests that GS-HuMSCs-CM could be a promising strategy for treating alopecia, offering advantages in use, storage, and transportation over traditional stem cell therapies. Future research could focus on identifying specific proteins in the medium that promote hair growth.