The isolation of hair follicle dermal papilla cells has become an important technique in the field of cutaneous stem cell biology. These cells can be used for a number of biological and translational purposes. They are studied to identify the cellular characteristics and molecular factors that underpin the initiation, maintenance, and modulation of hair growth; to develop new human hair replacement techniques; and as a source of cells capable of being directed down a variety of different lineages. Here, we describe the isolation of hair follicle dermal papilla cells from both human and murine sources via the microdissection techniques used in our lab.
