Human-Derived Immortalized Dermal Papilla Cells With Constant Expression of Androgen Receptor

In the study from March 18, 2020, researchers successfully created immortalized human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) with constant expression of the androgen receptor (AR), aiming to provide a model for studying androgenetic alopecia (AGA). They introduced mutant CDK4, Cyclin D1, and TERT into DPCs to prevent senescence and maintain proliferation. The cells, named K4DT, retained primary cell characteristics and normal chromosomal patterns. The AR gene was introduced using a retrovirus, and the functionality of the AR was confirmed by its nuclear translocation in response to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment and the induction of Dkk1 expression, a downstream gene in the testosterone signaling pathway. The study also found that the anti-testosterone drug MDV3100 could partially inhibit AR translocation. The number of cells analyzed in various experiments included 15 for fluorescence intensity measurements and 16 for each group in nuclear translocation experiments. The immortalized DPCs with AR expression are considered a valuable tool for AGA research and for screening anti-testosterone compounds.