Generation of functional hair follicles from follicle germs in a nude mouse model of organ replacement regenerative therapy

摘要

Organ replacement regenerative therapy is a growing branch of regenerative medicine in which the principles of embryogenesis are used to create bioengineered proto-organs, or 'organ germs', from epithelial and mesenchymal cell aggregates, which, after implantation, interact with surrounding tissues of the recipient to generate fully functioning organs. Recent regeneration of a bioengineered tooth from a tooth germ implanted into the alveolar bone of a mouse has provided some of the first evidence that organ replacement regenerative therapy shows promise [1]. In the article under review, Toyoshima et al. demonstrate that replacement regenerative therapy also shows promise for follicular regeneration in patients with androgenic alopecia.