Skin Equivalent Assay: An Optimized Method for Testing Hair Growth Reconstitution Capacity of Epidermal and Dermal Cells

The study from March 13, 2019, developed a 3D skin equivalent assay using neonate mouse epidermal and dermal cells to regenerate hair follicles when grafted onto nude mice. The 3D assay outperformed both a 2D model and a positive control chamber assay in terms of hair follicle number, orientation, and gene expression of hair induction markers. The addition of Wnt3a to the 3D assay significantly increased hair regeneration, with the Wnt3a treated group showing 361±88 regenerated hairs compared to 255±27 in the untreated group. The study concluded that the 3D skin equivalent is a promising tool for hair regeneration research and for testing hair growth-promoting agents. The number of mice used in the 3D skin equivalent group was not specified, but control groups had 5 mice each, and the Wnt3a treatment group had 4 mice.