Modelling Human Hair Follicles—Lessons from Animal Models and Beyond

The review highlights the challenges and advancements in modeling human hair follicles in vitro, emphasizing the importance of understanding hair follicle biology and cycles for conditions like alopecia. Current models are limited, and improvements could advance hair research and treatment. The document discusses androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata, noting the limitations of mouse models due to biological differences. It explores scaffold-free and skin-mimetic models, which show potential but face challenges in achieving full maturation. The review underscores the need for incorporating immune cells, vasculature, and biomechanical forces to enhance model relevance and maturation, and highlights the role of advanced technologies in developing sophisticated human in vitro models for better therapeutic strategies.