News: Scientists 3D-print hair follicles in lab-grown skin

In a groundbreaking development, researchers in the United States have achieved a significant milestone in biomedical engineering by successfully utilizing 3D printing technology to create hair follicles within lab-grown human skin tissue. This remarkable achievement, a first of its kind, was documented in a study conducted by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of New York and published in the prestigious journal Science Advances.

Hair follicles play a crucial role in regulating body temperature through sweat production and house stem cells vital for skin regeneration. The successful 3D printing of these follicles represents not only a potential breakthrough in addressing baldness but also a remarkable advancement in the field of regenerative medicine.

Furthermore, this achievement highlights the potential for automating processes in biomanufacturing skin. The ability to 3D cultivate human-derived cells holds promise for generating new hair follicles and shafts, as well as for enhancing the success rate of skin grafts. Traditionally, safety assessments have often relied on hairless engineered skin tissues, but the inclusion of hair follicles in skin models provides researchers with a more realistic platform to study how the skin interacts with different formulations.

This development paves the way for the testing of more effective treatments for a wide range of skin conditions, offering hope for improved outcomes in the field of dermatology and beyond.