A comparison of the culture and growth of dermal papilla cells from hair follicles from non-balding and balding (androgenetic alopecia) scalp.

Male pattern baldness is a common, androgen-dependent skin problem in adult men which is not well understood, although androgens are believed to act on the hair follicle via the mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla situated in the middle of the hair follicle bulb. Since dermal papilla cells retain specific characteristics in culture, such as hair-growth promoting ability and appropriate features of the mechanism of androgen action, dermal papilla cells from follicles undergoing androgen-stimulated miniaturization may provide a useful in vitro model system. Therefore, dermal papilla cells have been derived from intermediate follicles from balding and nearly clinically normal sites of men with androgenetic alopecia. Balding dermal papillae were much smaller than non-balding ones and grew much less well under normal growth conditions. Supplementing the medium with human serum, rather than fetal calf serum, increased both the yield of established cultures and the number and health of the dermal papilla cells produced. Non-balding cells also grew faster in human serum. Balding cells retained the normal fibroblastic shape and aggregative behaviour of dermal papilla cells, but always grew less well than non-balding cells. Nearly clinically normal dermal papillae were similar, or slightly smaller, in size to non-balding ones, but their growth resembled balding cells. Since balding dermal papilla cells can be cultured, though with much greater difficulty than nonbalding ones, and exhibit differing growth characteristics to non-balding cells, they merit further investigation which may increase our understanding of, and ability to control, androgenetic alopecia.