title: Cryopreservation of Hair-Follicle Associated Pluripotent (HAP) Stem Cells Maintains Differentiation and Hair-Growth Potential.
abstract: Hair follicles contain nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells which originate above the bulge area of the follicle, below the sebaceous gland. We have termed these cells hair follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells. We have established efficient cryopreservation methods of the hair follicle that maintain the pluripotency of HAP stem cells as well as hair growth. We cryopreserved the whole hair follicle by slow-rate cooling in TC-Protector medium or in DMSO-containing medium and storage in liquid nitrogen or at -80 °C. After thawing and culture of the cryopreserved whisker follicles, growing HAP stem cells formed hair spheres. The hair spheres contained cells that differentiated to neurons, glial cells, and other cell types. The hair spheres derived from slow-cooling cryopreserved hair follicles were as pluripotent as hair spheres from fresh hair follicles. We have also previously demonstrated that cryopreserved mouse whisker hair follicles maintain their hair-growth potential. DMSO better cryopreserved mouse whisker follicles compared to glycerol. DMSO-cryopreserved hair follicles also maintained the HAP stem cells, evidenced by P75ntrexpression. Subcutaneous transplantation of DMSO-cryopreserved hair follicles in nude mice resulted in extensive hair fiber growth over 8 weeks, indicating the functional recovery of hair-shaft growth of cryopreserved hair follicles. HAP stem cells can be used for nerve and spinal-cord repair. This biobanking of hair follicles can allow each patient the potential for their own stem cell use for regenerative medicine or hair transplantation.
authors.affiliation: AntiCancer, Inc, 7917 Ostrow St, San Diego, CA, 92111, USA. all@anticancer.com.|Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. all@anticancer.com.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kajiura
authors.affiliation: AntiCancer, Inc, 7917 Ostrow St, San Diego, CA, 92111, USA.|Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.|Department of Anatomy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wenluo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amoh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000458:organization & administration; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide
keywords: Bio-banking; Hair follicle; Hair growth; Pluripotent; Stem cells