Hair growth and alopecia

A person’s hair is often considered as a remnant of the animal mane and has both a social and biological role. It is characteristic of each person and is a sign of youth, health and fertility.

Hair loss (alopecia), unwanted hair growth (hirsutism, hypertrichosis) or premature graying of hair may lead to social, and possibly psychological, disorders for which the cosmetics industry is striving to find solutions.

Bioalternatives provides a model directly derived from the widely recognized standard conditions described by Philpott. It is based on the immediate microdissection of human scalp samples, which makes the experimental procedure very exacting and dependent upon biological samples. This human hair follicle model is an isolated organ by itself and represents a “natural” model of co-culture of normal differentiated cutaneous cells (keratinocytes, but also fibroblasts and melanocytes).The hair-sebaceous unit is a complex system with cyclic self-renewal from a reserve of pluripotent cells. The hair renewal cycle varies according to many genetic, autocrine and paracrine factors as well as environmental ones.

These parameters can be analyzed using microscopy and morphometry methods but also via more complex molecular approaches (RT-qPCR, histology and immunohistochemistry, ELISA, etc.).

Hair growth and alopecia: in vitro models and assays

Bioalternatives has the following in vitro or ex vivo models at your disposal:

human follicle dermal papilla fibroblasts (HFDPC)
human hair follicle (ex vivo)

on which we can evaluate the effects of active compounds on alopecia and hair growth by measuring:

hair growth stimulation (hair regeneration)
hair growth inhibition (anti-hair growth)
the increase in cell viability in culture (anti-apoptosis, anti-hair loss)
the increase of the hair shaft diameter
5-alpha reductase activity (androgen metabolism)
hair bulb / hair shaft pigmentation
specific marker expression (Ki67, TGK, fibronectin, β-catenin, cytokines etc.)

Labeling of hair follicle (TGK in green, fibronectin in red, nuclei in blue)

Hair follicle (fibronectin)

Hair follicle (Fontana Masson staining)

Human follicle dermal papilla fibroblasts

Here are a few examples among all standard assays proposed by Bioalternatives in the field of hair growth and alopecia:

Discover all our standard assays related to hair regeneration and alopecia

Direct access to catalog

Hair: Follicle, Associated Structures and Growth

7 June 2017/in Cosmetics, Hair follicle /by Julie

Hair follicles are skin adnexa which are able to regenerate in a complete, autonomous, cyclic and asynchronous manner. The histological analysis of the pilosebaceous unit reveals a three-element organization: the epithelial compartment, the mesenchymal compartment and the sebaceous gland.

Hair growth and alopecia: in vitro models and assays

DPF, cytokine release ( IL-1 alpha stimulation)

DPF, proliferation (basal)

DPF, testosterone metabolism & 5- alpha reductase activity (basal)

Hair follicle growth & degeneration (basal)

Hair follicle, gene expression (cytokine mix)

SEE ALSO

Hair: Follicle, Associated Structures and Growth

Cosmetics

Pharmacology

Dermatology

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