Plastic and reconstructive surgery
September 16, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Topical Application of Cultured Human Hair Follicle-Derived Epithelial Progenitor Cells Enhances Wound Healing and Epithelialization.
Zhang B, Saito N, Wu Y, +5 more, Yoshimura K.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
A preclinical study found that epithelial cells isolated from the hair follicle bulb region showed the highest proliferative capacity and, when applied topically, produced the most pronounced wound epithelialization and reduced scarring compared with other hair follicle regions and standard epidermal keratinocytes in animal wound models.
What was studied
A preclinical study isolating epithelial cells from distinct regions of human scalp hair follicles (upper root, lower root, and bulb epithelial cells) and comparing them with standard epidermal keratinocytes for viability, proliferation, and phenotypic characteristics in vitro, then testing topical application of each cell population on full-thickness wounds in immunodeficient mice, with histological analysis of healed tissue and donor-site effects explored in a rat whisker model.
Key findings
- Bulb epithelial cells (BECs) exhibited the highest viability and proliferative capacity among the hair follicle cell populations tested, along with a lower proportion of differentiated keratinocytes.
- All cell-treated groups enhanced wound epithelialization compared to untreated controls in the mouse model, with BEC-treated wounds showing the most pronounced improvement.
- Histological analysis showed reduced scar formation and increased retention of human-derived cells in regenerated epidermis following BEC treatment; in the rat donor-site model, hair follicle regeneration occurred after bulb removal, though regenerated whiskers were thinner and shorter than originals.
Clinical relevance
This is early-stage preclinical proof-of-concept research suggesting hair follicle bulb-derived epithelial cells could be a promising future cell source for cutaneous wound regeneration, which may be relevant to researchers developing next-generation cell-based wound therapies, though the authors explicitly state further investigation is required to establish clinical applicability.
Who should care
Limitations
This is a preclinical study using animal models (immunodeficient mice, rats), not human clinical trials, so efficacy and safety of this approach in human wound patients remain unestablished; the donor-site model showed some adverse effect (thinner, shorter regenerated whiskers), raising questions about donor-site consequences that would need further study.
Hair follicle bulb-derived epithelial cells showed the most favorable proliferative and wound-healing properties among hair follicle cell types tested, offering proof-of-concept for a potential new cell source for skin regeneration, pending further research before clinical use.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
Epithelial cell-based approaches - including cultured keratinocyte sheets, bilayered skin substitutes, and cell-enriched wound dressings derived from epidermal cells - have been explored to enhance wound epithelialization; however, most studies have focused on epidermis-derived cells. Wound-healing potential of epithelial cells originating from different regions of human hair follicle remains insufficiently characterized.
Methods
Epithelial cells were isolated from distinct regions of human scalp hair follicles, including upper root epithelial cells (UECs), lower root epithelial cells (LECs), and bulb epithelial cells (BECs), and were compared with epidermal keratinocytes. Cell viability, proliferation, and phenotypic characteristics were evaluated in vitro. In vivo epithelialization was assessed using a full-thickness wound model in immunodeficient mice following topical application of each cell population. Histological analyses were performed on healed tissue, and donor-site outcomes were explored using a rat whisker model.
Results
BECs exhibited the highest viability and proliferative capacity, along with a lower proportion of differentiated keratinocytes. All cell-treated groups enhanced epithelialization compared to controls, with BECs-treated wounds showing the most pronounced improvement. Histological analysis demonstrated reduced scar formation and increased retention of human-derived cells in regenerated epidermis following BECs treatment. In rat model, hair follicle regeneration was observed after bulb removal, although regenerated whiskers exhibited reduced thickness and length.
Conclusion
These findings provide proof-of-concept evidence that epithelial cells derived from the human hair follicle bulb possess favorable biological properties and enhance epithelialization in preclinical wound model. Hair follicle-derived epithelial cells may represent promising cell source for cutaneous regeneration, although further investigation is required to establish clinical applicability.
DOI
10.1097/prs.0000000000013458
PMID
42747264
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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