Hair Follicle Generation by Injections of Adult Human Follicular Epithelial and Dermal Papilla Cells into Nude Mice

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Skin and Stem Cell Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

2 Skin and Stem Cell Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran;Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

4 Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran;4Department of Regenerative Biomedicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Teh

Abstract

Objective
Dermal papilla and hair epithelial stem cells regulate hair formation and the growth cycle. Damage to or loss of these cells can cause hair loss. Although several studies claim to reconstitute hairs using rodent cells in an animal model, additional research is needed to develop a stable human hair follicle reconstitution protocol. In this study, we have evaluated hair induction by injecting adult cultured human dermal papilla cells and a mixture of hair epithelial and dermal papilla cells in a mouse model.
Materials and Methods
In this experimental study, discarded human scalp skins were used to obtain dermal papilla and hair epithelial cells. After separation, cells were cultured and assessed for their characteristics. We randomly allocated 15 C57BL/6 nude mice into three groups that received injections in their dorsal skin. The first group received cultured dermal papilla cells, the second group received a mixture of cultured epithelial and dermal papilla cells, and the third group (control) received a placebo [phosphate-buffered saline (PBS-)].
Results
Histopathologic examination of the injection sites showed evidence of hair growth in samples that received cells compared with the control group. However, the group that received epithelial and dermal papilla cells had visible evidence of hair growth. PKH tracing confirmed the presence of transplanted cells in the new hair.
Conclusion
Our data showed that injection of a combination of adult human cultured dermal papilla and epithelial cells could induce hair growth in nude mice. This study emphasized that the combination of human adult cultured dermal papilla and epithelial cells could induce new hair in nude mice.

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