title: Culture of Dermal Papilla Cells from Ovine Wool Follicles: An In Vitro Model for Papilla Size Determination.
abstract: Common human balding or hair loss is driven by follicle miniaturization. Miniaturization is thought to be caused by a reduction in dermal papilla size. The molecular mechanisms that regulate papilla size are poorly understood, and their elucidation would benefit from a tractable experimental model. We have found that dermal papilla cells from sheep spontaneously aggregate in culture to form papilla-like structures. Here, we describe methods for microdissecting dermal papillae from wool follicles, for initiating and maintaining cultures of ovine papilla cells, and for using these cells in an in vitro assay to measure the effect of bioactive molecules on aggregate size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Rufaut
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.|Histopathology Department, Waikato District Health Board, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.affiliation: Epworth Research Institute, Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Rodney.Sinclair@epworthdermatology.com.au.|Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Rodney.Sinclair@epworthdermatology.com.au.
authors.forename: Rodney D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sinclair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology*; D012756:Sheep
keywords: Aggregation; Dermal papilla; Hair follicle; Hair loss; In vitro; Morphogenesis; Ovine; Sheep; Wool