Abstract
Organ regeneration is becoming a promising choice for many patients; however, many details about the mechanisms underlying organ regeneration remain unknown. As regenerative organs, hair follicles offer a good model to study the mechanisms associated with regenerative medicine. The relevant studies have mainly focused on donor cells, and there are no systematic studies involving the effect of host factors on hair follicle reconstruction. Thus, we intend to explore the effect of host cells on hair follicle reconstruction. Epidermal and dermal cells from red fluorescent protein (RFP) transgenic newborn mice were injected into green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. In addition, we wrapped the mixed dermal and epidermal cells from GFP transgenic and RFP transgenic mice by the Cell-in-a-Box kit to form "capsules," so that the cells within would be isolated from host cells. These capsules were cultured in vitro and transplanted in vivo. Fully developed reconstructed hair follicles were observed after the injection of mixed cells. These reconstructed follicles mainly consisted of donor cells, as well as a small number of host cells. The encapsulated cells gradually aggregated into cell spheres in vitro without apparent differentiation towards hair follicles. With respect to the transplanted capsules, concentric circle structures were observed, but no hair follicles or hair shafts formed. When the concentric circle structures were transplanted in vivo, mature hair follicles were observed 30 days later. Host cells were found in the reconstructed hair follicles. Thus, we conclude that host cells participate in the process of hair follicle reconstruction, and they play a vital role in the process, especially for the maturation of reconstructed hair follicles. Furthermore, we established a special hair follicle reconstruction system with the help of capsules: transplant cells were isolated from host, but other factors from host could exchange with cells inside.
Highlights
Organ transplantation has become a good choice for people whose organs are lost or damaged as a result of disease, injury, or aging [1,2]; there are still many challenges, in which inadequate supply of organs and immunologic rejection constitute the main parts [3,4]
With the aid of isolation technology of transplanted cells, we explored the influence of host cell factors on hair follicle reconstruction in vivo, and determined whether or not completely developed hair follicles can form without the participation of host cells
Host cells participated in the hair follicle regeneration process To certify whether or not the host cells were involved in the hair follicle regeneration process, we transplanted combined cell mixtures, as well as single cells, into mice to form hair follicles
Summary
Organ transplantation has become a good choice for people whose organs are lost or damaged as a result of disease, injury, or aging [1,2]; there are still many challenges, in which inadequate supply of organs and immunologic rejection constitute the main parts [3,4]. We can successfully reconstruct mature hair follicles using numerous in vivo animal models, such as the chamber assay, patch assay, flap assay, and sandwiches [9,10,11,12,13]. These methods have implemented the cross between organs and scattered cells, such methods are only suitable for detecting the hair-inducing capacity of cells. With the aid of isolation technology of transplanted cells, we explored the influence of host cell factors on hair follicle reconstruction in vivo, and determined whether or not completely developed hair follicles can form without the participation of host cells. The underlying mechanism of hair follicle reconstruction remains the target of ongoing research
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