Cutaneous Regeneration and Tissue Engineering: From Hair Follicle Regeneration to Skin Restoration

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2027 | Viewed by 5249

Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: hair regeneration; hair follicular stem cells; wound healing; scarless healing; wound-induced hair neogenesis; skin aging; squamous cell carcinoma; obesity and diabetes; digit regeneration; Wnt signaling; drug development; lineage tracing; tissue clearing; skin pattern; human organ development; somatic mosaicism
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The regeneration of skin and its appendages, including hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, remains a central challenge in both dermatology and regenerative medicine. Treating clinical conditions such as alopecia, chronic ulcers, and extensive burns requires therapies that can restore not only the skin barrier but also its complex structure and function. Recent progress in regenerative biology and tissue engineering has introduced a variety of strategies to address this challenge. These include engineered skin constructs incorporating biomaterial scaffolds, organoid models that recapitulate skin development, and 3D skin equivalents composed of multiple cell types and vascular networks. These approaches are reshaping our understanding of how functional skin tissue can be reconstructed.

For this Special Issue, “Cutaneous Regeneration and Tissue Engineering: From Hair Follicle Regeneration to Skin Restoration”, we welcome original research articles and review papers covering broad approaches to skin regeneration. Studies are invited on fundamental mechanisms of skin and hair follicle regeneration, wound healing models, scaffold and biomaterial design, noncellular regenerative therapies such as exosomes or growth factors, and translational or preclinical applications. Submissions from researchers working on appendage regeneration, skin bioengineering, wound repair dynamics, or clinical strategies for alopecia and chronic wounds are highly encouraged. This Special Issue will bring together interdisciplinary contributions that advance the restoration of fully functional skin in both experimental and clinical contexts.

Dr. Soung-Hoon Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • skin regeneration
  • hair follicle regeneration
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative biology
  • biomaterial scaffolds
  • organoids and 3D skin models
  • wound healing
  • acellular matrices
  • exosome-based therapy
  • translational dermatology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 7385 KB  
Article
An Innovative Bioengineering Approach to Investigate the Response of Melanin-Rich Cells to Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
by Kirsty Goncalves, Kous Shah, Victoria Maltman, Yuwen Chen, Nicole Barrett, Georgia Abraham, Ilaria Ambrogio, Teresa DiColandrea, John Snowball and Stefan Przyborski
Cells 2026, 15(10), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15100859 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 1181
Abstract
Light-based therapies are becoming increasingly = more mainstream, not only within the medical science space, but also within the fields of cosmetic dermatology and personal grooming. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) harnesses the ability of the natural chromophore–melanin to absorb light energy, which is [...] Read more.
Light-based therapies are becoming increasingly = more mainstream, not only within the medical science space, but also within the fields of cosmetic dermatology and personal grooming. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) harnesses the ability of the natural chromophore–melanin to absorb light energy, which is translated into heat energy and consequently results in targeted thermolysis of cells rich in melanin. This mechanistic pathway lends itself to a wide range of applications, including long-term hair removal, skin rejuvenation, the treatment of unwanted pigmentation, and the treatment of ophthalmic conditions. The development of home use devices (HUDs) for the delivery of IPL-mediated hair removal has facilitated the self-administration of photothermal treatments and reduced reliance on clinical settings. In this study, we demonstrate a pioneering approach to model aspects of IPL-induced thermal induction and selective thermolysis in a complex human skin tissue equivalent. Our approach utilised a deactivated HUD with disabled safety features that allowed for the exposure of tissue constructs to high-fluence IPL. We demonstrate an increase in biomarkers consistent with increased cellular temperature, induction of apoptosis, and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine release following extreme treatment regimens, all of which correlate with an increased fluence and/or increased number of IPL pulses delivered. This method allowed for the identification of cellular events evoked by increasing fluence and extreme-exposure regimes. Full article
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Review

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20 pages, 2680 KB  
Review
Bio-Nanovesicle-Based Approaches for Hair and Skin Regeneration: An Updated Concise Review
by Ramya Lakshmi Rajendran, Danyal Reyaz, Atharva Anand Mahajan, Chae Moon Hong, Kandasamy Nagarajan ArulJothi, Byeong-Cheol Ahn and Prakash Gangadaran
Cells 2026, 15(7), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15070617 - 30 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Skin and hair follicles regenerate through coordinated stem cell niches and cyclic signaling associated with transitions among anagen, catagen, and telogen phases. In alopecia and chronic skin diseases, follicular miniaturization, immune dysregulation, persistent inflammation, impaired vascularization, and a compromised stratum corneum barrier limit [...] Read more.
Skin and hair follicles regenerate through coordinated stem cell niches and cyclic signaling associated with transitions among anagen, catagen, and telogen phases. In alopecia and chronic skin diseases, follicular miniaturization, immune dysregulation, persistent inflammation, impaired vascularization, and a compromised stratum corneum barrier limit the effectiveness of conventional topical and systemic therapies. Bio-nanovesicles (BNVs), including natural extracellular vesicles such as exosomes and microvesicles, as well as engineered artificial or hybrid nanovesicles, offer a targeted, cell-free delivery platform for miRNAs, proteins, and growth factors. By modulating key pathways—Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, MAPK/ERK, and TGF-β/BMP—BNVs have the potential to restore regenerative crosstalk, enhance angiogenesis, and help initiate hair and skin repair. Full article
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14 pages, 712 KB  
Review
Fibroblast-Based Cell Therapy: Molecular Background, Current Therapies and Future Perspectives
by Paulina Bihuniak, Patrycja Stodolak, Piotr Kulig and Bogusław Machaliński
Cells 2026, 15(7), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15070613 - 30 Mar 2026
Viewed by 986
Abstract
Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which physiologically possess numerous functions and belong to basic cellular components necessary to maintain tissue homeostasis and are essential for extracellular matrix formation and maintenance. In addition, fibroblasts are of paramount importance in regeneration and wound healing as they [...] Read more.
Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which physiologically possess numerous functions and belong to basic cellular components necessary to maintain tissue homeostasis and are essential for extracellular matrix formation and maintenance. In addition, fibroblasts are of paramount importance in regeneration and wound healing as they interact with the immune system. These unique properties determine their great utility in cell therapies in the field of regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the mechanisms of action and clinical applications of fibroblast-based therapies as well as highlighting the future perspectives including the use of allogeneic cells. Full article
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19 pages, 2175 KB  
Review
EPCR in Wound Healing: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potential
by Hui Wang, Lyn March, Christopher J. Jackson, Marita Cross and Meilang Xue
Cells 2026, 15(6), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15060567 - 22 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 879
Abstract
The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is an important component of the protein C (PC) system, recognised for its diverse roles in blood coagulation, inflammation, and stem cell regulation. Wound healing is a complex physiological process that can be divided into four distinct [...] Read more.
The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is an important component of the protein C (PC) system, recognised for its diverse roles in blood coagulation, inflammation, and stem cell regulation. Wound healing is a complex physiological process that can be divided into four distinct but overlapping phases: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling. Recently, EPCR has emerged as a key regulator in wound repair and regeneration. During haemostasis, EPCR enhances the conversion of PC to its activated form (APC) to optimise local and systemic anticoagulation. In the inflammatory phase, EPCR modulates immune cell activity, inhibits inflammatory factors, and maintains tissue barrier integrity. As the process transitions to the proliferative phase, EPCR promotes endothelial and epithelial cell proliferation, migration, neovascularisation and re-epithelization, and mediates the expression of matrix metalloproteinases to facilitate tissue reconstruction. Finally, during the remodelling phase, EPCR exerts a potential antifibrotic effect by regulating fibroblast activation and collagen deposition via the Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smad3 pathway, ensuring functional repair. While therapeutic potential has been shown in animal models, translating EPCR-mediated therapies to clinical application faces many challenges, including wound heterogeneity, dosage control, targeted delivery, and potential bleeding risks. Studies have shown that local drug delivery strategies, non-anticoagulant APC variants, and individualised treatment based on EPCR expression will be the key directions for future development. Additionally, EPCR may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing wound severity and guiding personalised interventions. Full article
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