New 3D Hair Follicle Model Could Help Find Drugs that Treat Baldness

Current medical treatments for baldness stop hair loss, but don't help new hair grow. A new 3D follicle model engineered by The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) can help researchers design effective treatment for re-growing hair.

Both men and women tend to lose hair as they age and this might be due genetics or hormonal changes rather than a disease. In men, decreasing testosterone levels lead to the "male pattern baldness".

The hair follicle is the skin organ that produces hair. At the base of the hair follicle are nerve fibers that surround each hair bulb. Sebaceous glands are also present along the follicles. These glands secrete oils that condition the hair. The hair growth cycle is controlled by interactions between epithelial cells, which surround the hair shaft, and dermal papilla cells that are at the base of the follicle bulb.

The latest 3D model of this hair follicle can help researchers design new treatment for baldness. The model can be used by pharmaceutical companies to test their hair-regrowth products.

"We have applied our cell and tissue engineering expertise to create a hair follicle-like structure that is very similar to the native hair follicle. This model allows us to better understand the mechanisms that control the development and growth of hair follicles. We hope that our invention would lead to novel ways to treat hair loss, which affects millions of people worldwide." IBN Executive Director Professor Jackie Y. Ying said in a news release.

The new model resembles the size and cell arrangement of real hair. Researchers used a combination of epithelial cells and dermal papilla cells within a fibrous matrix to create the model. They used a patented microfiber fabrication technology to engineer the hair follicle model.

"In our model, the hair cells are implanted into very fine and transparent fibers, which can be easily examined under the microscope unlike conventional models, making them ideal for drug testing applications," Dr Andrew Wan, IBN Team Leader and Principal Research Scientist, said in a news release.