Innovative Approaches and Advances for Hair Follicle Regeneration

This review discusses the urgent need for hair follicle (HF) regeneration due to pathological hair loss (alopecia) and limited HF donors. It highlights the potential of HF organoids to develop into native HFs and attachments like sweat glands after transplantation. However, continuous cell passaging in vitro leads to a loss of trichogenic capacity due to the deficiency of a rich extracellular matrix (ECM). The review emphasizes the importance of ECM-mimicking 3D scaffolds to support cell homeostasis and better mimic in vivo environments for HF regeneration. Various HF-relevant cells, such as dermal papilla cells (DPCs), hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can form HF organoids in vitro. These scaffolds facilitate epithelial–mesenchymal interaction (EMI) and functional preservation of HF cells. The review also covers the latest progress in treatment trials, the benefits of emerging biomaterials, and the main challenges and prospects of HF regenerative approaches.