133 citations
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July 1994 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” In this study, the researchers developed an in vitro model that maintains human hair follicles to grow at in vivo rates and observed that factors like EGF and IGF-I influence hair follicle growth and catagen entry.
76 citations
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August 2018 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This review discusses the use of Dermal Papilla cells as in vitro models for studying hair growth modulators, emphasizing their role in aiding the development of new hair treatments, but reports no new clinical results.
13 citations
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December 1991 in “Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences” This study observed that human anagen hair follicles can grow in vitro when maintained serum-free, with possible implications for understanding hair follicle growth mechanisms.
5 citations
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November 2017 in “Elsevier eBooks” This review highlights recent advances in hair follicle research, noting that new 3D culture techniques have enabled formation of HF-like structures in vitro, offering potential benefits for alopecia and burn patients, but it reports no new clinical results.
3 citations
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March 2023 in “Scientific Reports” This study found that organoid cultures of human epithelial and mesenchymal cells can produce hair peg-like structures, and their growth is enhanced by minoxidil, suggesting potential for hair drug screening.
This research observed that hairless guinea pig dermal fibroblasts were more sensitive to a toxic exposure than human dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that guinea pigs might serve as an intermediate model for translating in vitro findings to whole organisms.
August 2026 in “Regenerative Biomaterials” This review examines human-relevant in vitro models for studying pigmentation disorders, identifying both challenges and advancements in replicating human pigmentation processes and disease-specific pathology in vitro.
March 2026 in “Ageing Research Reviews” This review highlights the complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing skin aging, emphasizing the need for advanced human-specific models to study aging mechanisms and develop new therapies.
July 2025 in “Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering” Spirulina extract may effectively promote hair growth and reduce inflammation, offering a natural alternative for hair loss treatment.
January 2023 in “Skin Research and Technology” This study created new methods to test how well hair care products clean and protect hair from pollution, finding a wide range of effectiveness among different formulas in removing pollutants and preventing their deposit on hair fibers.
September 2016 in “Toxicology letters” The researchers reported that hydrogels made from methacrylated glycol chitosan and hyaluronic acid with chondroitin sulfate may be suitable for load bearing soft tissue repair, showing enhanced chondrocyte viability and metabolic activity.
208 citations
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January 2013 in “Lab on a Chip” The researchers described a chip-based bioreactor platform for dynamic perfusion, which may enhance in vitro skin models by introducing mechanical shear stress and extending culture periods.
44 citations
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June 2018 in “Journal of Cellular Physiology” This study found that using 3D dermal papilla spheroid models enhances extracellular matrix production and hair follicle marker expression, providing insights into hair follicle biology and potential for drug screening.
19 citations
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March 2017 in “PLoS ONE” This study found that intact pilosebaceous units were more effective than truncated hair follicles at regenerating a multilayered epidermis in a de-epidermalized dermis in vitro.
16 citations
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November 2020 in “In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal” This study explored the use of "microfollicles," a human hair follicle organoid model, as an in vitro tool for testing hair-growth substances, finding up to 75% overlap in gene expression changes with human clinical biopsy responses to minoxidil, indicating its potential for pre-clinical substance testing.
1 citations
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June 2026 in “Disease Models & Mechanisms” This research overview provides insights into current in vitro models for drug testing in hair loss treatments, highlighting the limitations of traditional models and the progress in developing three-dimensional culture platforms for more effective screening of potential therapies.
June 2026 in “BMC Biotechnology” In this study, researchers developed a new human in vitro model for male androgenetic alopecia that replicates key features of the disorder, providing an effective platform for studying hair loss mechanisms and testing potential treatments.
42 citations
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January 2017 in “Stem cells international” This study found that while extracellular matrix components like hyaluronic acid promoted larger organoid formation, other matrix components hindered hair follicle germ assembly in an in vitro model.
26 citations
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October 2020 in “Biomedicines” This review discusses the applications and potential of Bioengineered Artificial Skin Substitutes in cosmetics and pharmacology research, with no new clinical findings reported.
10 citations
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April 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that ovine dermal papilla cells exhibit robust aggregation in culture, offering a model to investigate the regulation of hair follicle dermal papilla size.
3 citations
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October 2022 in “PloS one” This study developed a method to culture and maintain chicken feather follicles in vitro, preserving structure and biology similar to their in vivo state, though some gene expression was altered.
January 2026 in “Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering” In this study, researchers developed a 3D in vitro model using decellularized Dupuytren’s disease tissue seeded with patient-derived fibroblasts, providing a platform to test antifibrotic therapies like minoxidil and demonstrating more complex drug responses than traditional 2D cultures.
November 2024 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Microfluidic models improve testing for aging, wound healing, and oral tissue, reducing animal testing.
February 2024 in “Journal of medicinal food” This study reports that the β-catenin inhibitor tegatrabetan reduced hair growth and hair follicle numbers in mice, suggesting its potential as a model for developing new hair growth materials.
1 citations
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January 2022 in “Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine” This review describes various in vitro and ex vivo hair follicle models used to study hair growth and regeneration and explores their potential for developing hair loss treatments, but it does not report new results.
July 2024 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Bioengineered skin models aging well, useful for studying aging and testing treatments.
October 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” In this research, investigators used in vitro models to study the Merkel cell-neurite complex and reported that mechanical stimulation, similar to gentle touch, can induce molecular changes that are potentially relevant to hair growth, thus contributing to the understanding of its underlying mechanisms.
48 citations
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June 2013 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” This study found that valproic acid promoted human hair growth by increasing β-catenin levels, suggesting it may be a potential therapeutic option for alopecia.
45 citations
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June 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” This review discusses various in vitro and in vivo models for studying hair follicle function, noting their potential in developing new treatments for hair disorders but reports no new results.
33 citations
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February 2009 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” This study found that porcine ear skin is more suitable than excised human skin for investigating the efficacy of barrier emulsions in preventing pollen allergen penetration due to its lack of tissue contraction.