Engineering Spatially Organized Hair Peg-like Structures in Human Skin Constructs Using Keratinocyte–Dermal Papilla Fibroblast Spheroids and Micropatterned Dermal Scaffolds

This study presents a bioengineering platform that successfully integrates self-organizing spheroids composed of human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal papilla fibroblasts with laser-micropatterned collagen scaffolds to create spatially defined hair peg-like structures within tissue-engineered skin substitutes (TESS). The research addresses the challenge of incorporating hair follicles into TESS by optimizing three-dimensional culture conditions, allowing the spheroids to undergo polarization, budding, and elongation, forming structures that express key follicle-associated markers. Although full maturation into hair follicles is not yet achieved, the study establishes a scalable and clinically relevant method for integrating early-stage follicular units into TESS, providing a foundation for future skin regeneration efforts using adult human cells.