Isolation, Culture, and In Vitro Behavior of Cells Isolated from Papillae of Human Hair Follicles

The study explored the isolation and culture of cells from the dermal papillae of human hair follicles, highlighting their role in hair follicle development and growth. Human papilla cells exhibited unique in vitro behaviors, forming multilayered aggregates on collagen gels. Beard follicle cells grew faster than scalp follicle cells, with doubling times of 40 hours and 70-80 hours, respectively, unaffected by testosterone. These cells synthesized an extracellular matrix and released IGF-1, though its in vivo relevance was unclear. While human papilla cells did not induce hair growth in vitro, rat vibrissa cells did when implanted in animals, suggesting potential for future research in hair biology using cell culture models.