Preparation of hair follicle epithelial stem cells and fabrication of hair follicle primordia

Abstract

This invention involves culturing epithelial stem cells 15, such as hair follicle epithelial stem cells, on a scaffold 13 composed of molecules containing extracellular cadherin (EC) domains. The epithelial stem cells 15 are then separated from the scaffold 13. This process prepares the epithelial stem cells 15. Subsequently, these cells can be cultured in three dimensions with the layer of epithelial stem cells 15 overlapping with the layer of mesenchymal cells 16 to create hair follicle primordia 10. The layer of mesenchymal cells 16 may include a layer of dermal papilla cells and a layer of at least one type of cell, either DDMCs (dermal pluripotent cells) or DS cells (dermal sheath cells). The layer of epithelial stem cells 15 may overlap the layer of dermal papilla cells on one side of the layer of mesenchymal cells 16.

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