HUMAN HAIR FOLLICLE REGENERATION FOLLOWING AMPUTATION AND GRAFTING INTO THE NUDE-MOUSE

In this study we investigated the capacity of the human hair follicle to regenerate a fiber-forming bulb after its amputation. We removed th e bases from terminal follicles from a variety of sites and transplant ed the follicles onto athymic mice, either still attached to a skin gr aft or as subcutaneous implants of individual follicles. External hair growth was observed on the skin grafts, and histology of the follicle s revealed restoration of dermal papillae and follicle bulb structures . This result suggests that the capacity of hair follicles to regenera te their lower structures after removal, which was first demonstrated on whisker follicles, may be a general phenomenon. It emphasizes the i mportance of specific cellular subpopulations within the follicle and the role of dermal-epidermal interactions in adult follicle activities .