Nanoscale Microenvironment Engineering for Expanding Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells and Revealing Their Plasticity
March 2021
in “
Journal of Nanobiotechnology
”
human hair follicle stem cells nanoscale biomimetic extracellular matrix gelatin alginate FGF-7 VEGF-A CD200 α6 BMP2 stem cell homeostasis hair follicle reconstruction hair follicle stem cells extracellular matrix fibroblast growth factor 7 vascular endothelial growth factor A bone morphogenetic protein 2
TLDR A new method was developed to grow and maintain human hair follicle stem cells for hair reconstruction.
The study developed a nanoscale biomimetic extracellular matrix using layer-by-layer self-assembly with gelatin/alginate to support and expand human hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). By incorporating key signaling molecules like FGF-7 and VEGF-A, the system effectively expanded and maintained the CD200 + α6 + HFSC population. Additionally, BMP2 was used as a slow-release signal to regulate HFSC fate, achieving a purified HFSC population. This approach minimized the HFSC microenvironment, allowing for stable amplification and revealing their plasticity, providing a new tool for hair follicle reconstruction and stem cell homeostasis studies.
