The Development of an In Vitro Human Hair Follicle Organoid With a Complexity Similar to That In Vivo

The document describes the development of a new in vitro human hair follicle model that closely mimics the complexity of natural hair follicles. Researchers successfully isolated epithelial cells and found that their hair-generating potential depends on culture conditions. They created 3D dermal papilla spheres and added epithelial cells, which organized into various hair compartments, producing keratins similar to those in vivo. The model was able to elongate and form shaft-like structures, and it responded to hair growth enhancers and inhibitors in a manner consistent with natural hair follicles. When transplanted into skin biopsies, the constructs began integrating and forming hair buds. This scalable model facilitates high-throughput screening for hair loss treatments, helping to understand mechanisms, optimize concentrations, and evaluate ingredient interactions, potentially advancing regenerative medicine for hair loss.