Hair follicle melanocyte cells as a renewable source of melanocytes for culture and transplantation.
Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Advances in melanocyte culture techniques have not yet led to reliable clinical methods for treating hypopigmentation disorders. We hypothesized that melanocytes harvested from plucked hair follicles may provide a renewable source of melanocytes for the treatment of hypopigmentation. METHODS: Hairs with attached cells from the follicles were plucked from Yucatan pigs and implanted in a collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix for either immediate or delayed implantation into full-thickness excisional porcine wounds. Wounds were allowed to heal and were biopsied at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. RESULTS: Fully healed wounds with transplanted hair follicles showed central areas of dark pigmentation corresponding to the location of implanted hair follicles. Corresponding collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix wounds showed no central areas of pigmentation. CONCLUSIONS: Hair follicle--derived melanocytes may potentially serve as a renewable source of pigment-producing cells for treating hypopigmentation disorders.
Source: PubMed Central
Institutions: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1675260136