Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for isolating hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells and to the use thereof for therapy and prophylaxis as well as for cosmetic treatments.

1 . A method for isolating hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells, the method comprising the following steps:
 a) preparation of vital hair,   b) cleavage of the hair prepared in step a),   c) isolating the cup shape-like attached hair cup together with the dermal hair papilla,   d) separating the dermal hair papilla from the hair cup,   e) cultivating the hair cup obtained in step d),   f) pooling of the confluent cells.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hair follicle is derived from a mammal. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein in the mammal is a mouse, a rat, a rabbit, a guinea pig, a goat, a pig, a bovine or a human. 
     
     
         4 . Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells, obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells having the characteristic of forming a hair follicle completely new, to migrate into a pre-existing hair papilla, of forming a part of the dermal connective tissue coating and of having a lower alkaline phosphatase activity than cells of the dermal papilla. 
     
     
         6 . The hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells according to  claim 4  as a means for therapy, prophylaxis and cosmetic treatments. 
     
     
         7 . Use of hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells according to  claim 4  for the preparation of a means for therapy or prophylaxis of alopecias or for gene therapy. 
     
     
         8 . Use according to  claim 7 , wherein the alopecia is an alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, pseudopelade of Brocq, alopecia due to lichen planopilaris, lupus erythematodes, congenital hypotrichosis and atrichias, diffuse hair loss in terms of a metabolic disease, alopecia after burn or traumas or alopecia after a chemotherapy.