In Vitro Models to Study Hair Follicle Generation

In 1990, Philpott and colleagues were the first to grow human hair in vitro, which opened up new opportunities for testing the effects of growth factors, hormones, or drugs on hair follicle growth and provided insights into hair growth disorders like alopecia areata or androgenic alopecia. Despite 25 years of ex vivo culture of human hair follicles and extensive research in vitro and in animal models, de novo organogenesis in vitro remained a challenge, primarily due to the inability to maintain the hair-inductive properties of dermal papilla cells in culture. However, recent novel approaches in passaging dermal papilla cells in three-dimensional culture systems allowed the formation of hair follicle-like structures in vitro, revolutionizing skin tissue engineering and offering hope for patients with alopecia or severe burns.