title: Visualization and characterisation of defined hair follicle compartments by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging without labelling.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To visualise and characterise skin architecture, the tissue usually has to be destroyed and labelled.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a label-free, minimally sample destructive method to define hair follicular structure has been explored and demonstrated in this paper.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human scalp skin cryosections were imaged using FTIR microscopy and the data was subsequently analysed with N-FINDR spectral unmixing algorithm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This resulted in an excellent distinction of known hair follicle tissue layers, which could be discerned based on their molecular structure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of a minimally sample-destructive, label-free spectroscopy based technique that can differentiate layers of cells in the dermal papilla and connective tissue sheath in the mesenchyme of the hair follicle paves the way forward to identifying spectral markers important in wound healing and stem cell therapies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Martin A B
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hedegaard
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kloepper
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paus
authors.forename: Bayden R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deckert
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012535:Scalp / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins