Understanding how hair follicles form in skin development
Official title: Investigating the Mechanism of Hair Follicle Placode Induction : A novel approach to understanding establishment of the periodic pattern
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-10995378 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how hair follicles form in the skin so that scientists can learn to grow healthy skin with hair in the lab, which could really help people with serious burns, slow-healing wounds, or hair loss conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $32,974 |
| NIH project number | 1F30AR084861-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10995378 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include patients with severe burns, chronic wounds, or advanced alopecia who may benefit from innovative skin grafting techniques.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to skin regeneration or hair follicle development may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms behind the formation of hair follicles during skin development, aiming to replicate this process in cultured skin. By exploring how skin can transform from a flat sheet into a complex structure with hair follicles, the study seeks to optimize methods for growing fully functional skin in laboratory settings. This could lead to significant advancements in regenerative medicine, particularly for patients with severe burns, slow-healing wounds, or conditions like scarring alopecia. The research employs a combination of biological techniques to analyze cellular behaviors and interactions that contribute to hair follicle development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enable the creation of skin grafts that autonomously produce hair follicles, greatly improving treatment options for patients with skin injuries or hair loss.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been some successes in generating hair growth from stem-cell derived tissues, this approach to understanding and replicating hair follicle patterning in cultured skin is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phillips, Brooke K — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Phillips, Brooke K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.