Microencapsulated Human Hair Dermal Papilla Cells: A Substitute for Dermal Papilla?

In the 2008 study, researchers successfully demonstrated that microencapsulated human hair dermal papilla (DP) cells could act as a substitute for dermal papilla in hair follicle regeneration. By enclosing DP cells in an alginate-polylysine-alginate (APA) semipermeable membrane and implanting them into rat footpads, they observed the formation of hair follicle and sebaceous gland structures within 6-10 weeks, with hair fibers visible at 10 weeks. This suggests that microencapsulated DP cells retain their normal activity and can initiate follicle regeneration, offering a new method for studying hair growth mechanisms and the role of the dermis in this process.