What is it about?
Scientists are working on ways to grow hair follicles in the lab to better understand hair loss and test hair growth treatments. This study compared two methods for growing these hair cells: one using flat petri dishes (2D) and another using tiny bowl-shaped wells that create mini 3D clusters called spheroids. They grew two key types of cells—dermal papilla cells and keratinocytes—which naturally interact to form hair follicles. These cells were treated with two drugs: minoxidil (which helps hair growth) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT, which contributes to hair loss).
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Photo by Nikolay Hristov on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Understanding how hair cells behave in different lab environments helps researchers create better models to study hair loss and test treatments—especially when designing next-gen solutions like bioengineered hair follicles or organoids.
Perspectives
As bioengineered hair follicles inch closer to clinical reality, understanding these nuances will be crucial for tailoring drug screening platforms and regenerative therapies. Instead of searching for a “one-size-fits-all” culture model, researchers might need modular systems—3D for inductive cues, 2D for certain molecular assays.
Associate Prof. Lifeng Kang
University of Sydney
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Comparative analysis of 3D and 2D cell-culturing methods in hair follicle spheroid morphogenesis and drug responsiveness, Biomaterials Advances, December 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214423.
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