Interfollicular Epidermal Stem-Like Cells for the Recreation of the Hair Follicle Epithelial Compartment

The study demonstrated that interfollicular epidermal stem-like keratinocytes (EpSlKCs) could effectively recreate hair follicle (HF) and sebaceous gland (SG)-like structures when combined with dermal papilla (DP) cells in mice. EpSlKCs, derived from discarded human skin, showed high proliferative capacity and maintained an undifferentiated state, crucial for hair regeneration. Co-culturing EpSlKCs with DP cells promoted mutual growth and differentiation, indicated by the balanced expression of VEGF and BMP2. Although the recreated structures did not produce a hair shaft, the findings suggested that EpSlKCs are a promising alternative to human hair follicular keratinocytes (HHFKCs) for HF epithelial compartment recreation, potentially advancing hair regeneration therapies.