Isolation and Cultivation of Hair Follicle Cells In Vitro, and Observation of Their Biological Characteristics

The study aimed to isolate and cultivate major growth cells of hair follicles in vitro and observe their biological characteristics. Researchers used tissue crawling and enzymatic digestion methods to obtain and culture outer root sheath cells (ORSC), dermal papilla cells (DPC), and dermal sheath cells (DSC) under different conditions. ORSC from the upper hair follicle showed a faster growth rate, and cells exhibited typical cobblestone-like structures, subcultured for 4 generations. DSC grew like long triangles and were subcultured for 3 generations. DPC, obtained from 3 × 3 cm² scalp sections, grew in a radiation-like pattern and were subcultured for 8 generations. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the cell types, with ORSC showing CK19 positivity, DPC showing anti-vimentin positivity, and DSC showing high vimentin expression. The study concluded that cells from the upper hair follicle had more active growth, supporting the hypothesis that hair follicle stem cells might reside in the upper follicle bulge. The methods used were effective in obtaining cells with good activity, growth, and proliferation, confirming the reliability of the cell sources.