Induction of Hair Follicle Regeneration in Rat Ear by Microencapsulated Human Hair Dermal Papilla Cells
February 2009
in “
Chinese Journal of Traumatology (english Edition)
”
TLDR Human hair cells can be used to grow new hair on rat ears, suggesting a possible treatment for hair loss.
In 2009, a study was conducted on 20 rats to test the potential of microencapsulated human hair dermal papilla (DP) cells in inducing hair follicle regeneration. The DP cells were obtained from human scalp follicles and encapsulated using a high-voltage electric field droplet generator. These encapsulated cells were then transplanted into the rats' ears. After 4-12 weeks, 18 out of 20 rats showed high-density hair growth. The regenerated follicles were larger than normal rat ear follicles, and white, thick, regular-sized hair fiber was visible six weeks post-transplantation. The study concluded that the microencapsulated DP cells retained the capacity to initiate follicle regeneration, suggesting potential use in hair loss treatment and studying the pathomechanism of androgenetic alopecia.
