A Method for Culturing Human Hair Follicle Cells (I)

—A Method for Culturing Hair Follicles Obtained from Surgically Resected Scalp—

Abstract

We cultured human hair follicle cells from follicles of the surgically resected scalp skin. In the presence of calcium (1.96 mM), a physiological concentration, the cells piled up, keratinized and rapidly displayed a terminal differentiation, as seen in skin epidermal cells. Only when they were cultured from the start with a physiological calcium concentration medium and then with a low calcium concentration one (0.43 mM) did monolayered, polygonal and large nucleated basal cell-like cells appear, and were retained for about 20 days. To remove the fibroblasts which grow rapidly and surround hair follicle cell colonies in the course of culture, we scraped them off with a rubber policeman and the growth was suppressed to some extent.