{"id":{"repo_id":"bradford","oai_identifier":"oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/5731"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/bradford/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/5731","repository":{"repo_id":"bradford","name":"University of Bradford","base_url":"https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Development of a novel, clinically-relevant model for investigating factors that stimulate human hair growth","abstract":"Lack of hair due to alopecia or skin grafting procedures causes significant distress due to hair's role in social and sexual communication. Only limited pharmacological agents are currently available to stimulate hair growth; their development is hampered by inappropriate model systems. Most research involves large terminal scalp follicles rather than the clinical targets of tiny vellus or intermediate follicles. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop a novel model system based on intermediate hair follicles. Initially, intermediate follicles from female pre-auricular skin were characterised and compared to matched terminal follicles. Intermediate follicles were smaller, less pigmented, shorter and possessed a more 'tubular' bulb morphology than their more 'bulbous' terminal counterparts. Significant correlations were demonstrated between various hair follicle measurements and corresponding dermal papilla diameters. Isolated terminal follicles grew significantly more than intermediate hair follicles in organ culture for 9 days. Testosterone (10nM), the major regulator of human hair growth, increased only intermediate follicle growth; the anti-androgen, cyproterone acetate (1¿M), prevented this stimulation, unlike the 5¿-reductase type 2 inhibitor finasteride (40ng/ml). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated androgen receptor and 5¿-reductase type 2 proteins in both follicle types, while quantitative real-time PCR and gene microarray analysis detected their increased gene expression in intermediate follicles. Thus, smaller intermediate follicles showed major morphological and gene expression differences to terminal follicles in vivo and retained significant, biologically-relevant differences in vitro in organ culture including androgen-responsiveness. Therefore, intermediate hair follicles offer a novel, exciting, more clinically relevant, albeit technically difficult, model for future investigations into hair growth.","abstract_html":"Lack of hair due to alopecia or skin grafting procedures causes significant distress due to hair's role in social and sexual communication. Only limited pharmacological agents are currently available to stimulate hair growth; their development is hampered by inappropriate model systems. Most research involves large terminal scalp follicles rather than the clinical targets of tiny vellus or intermediate follicles. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop a novel model system based on intermediate hair follicles. Initially, intermediate follicles from female pre-auricular skin were characterised and compared to matched terminal follicles. Intermediate follicles were smaller, less pigmented, shorter and possessed a more 'tubular' bulb morphology than their more 'bulbous' terminal counterparts. Significant correlations were demonstrated between various hair follicle measurements and corresponding dermal papilla diameters. Isolated terminal follicles grew significantly more than intermediate hair follicles in organ culture for 9 days. Testosterone (10nM), the major regulator of human hair growth, increased only intermediate follicle growth; the anti-androgen, cyproterone acetate (1¿M), prevented this stimulation, unlike the 5¿-reductase type 2 inhibitor finasteride (40ng/ml). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated androgen receptor and 5¿-reductase type 2 proteins in both follicle types, while quantitative real-time PCR and gene microarray analysis detected their increased gene expression in intermediate follicles. Thus, smaller intermediate follicles showed major morphological and gene expression differences to terminal follicles in vivo and retained significant, biologically-relevant differences in vitro in organ culture including androgen-responsiveness. Therefore, intermediate hair follicles offer a novel, exciting, more clinically relevant, albeit technically difficult, model for future investigations into hair growth.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miranda, Benjamin H."],"institution":"University of Bradford","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Randall, Valerie A.","Tobin, Desmond J."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-12-02","date_published":"2013-12-02","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:15:08Z","subjects":["Human hair growth","; Hair follicle stimulation","; Intermediate hair follicles","; Terminal hair follicles","; Alopecia","Hair loss prevention"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["\"Creative
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5731","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Randall, Valerie A.","Tobin, Desmond J."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miranda, Benjamin H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2013-12-02T17:09:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-12-02T17:09:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-12-02"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Bradford"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["PhD"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Human hair growth","; Hair follicle stimulation","; Intermediate hair follicles","; Terminal hair follicles","; Alopecia","Hair loss prevention"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["\"Creative
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The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence."],"dc:subject":["Human hair growth","; Hair follicle stimulation","; Intermediate hair follicles","; Terminal hair follicles","; Alopecia","Hair loss prevention"],"dc:title":["Development of a novel, clinically-relevant model for investigating factors that stimulate human hair growth"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:15:08Z"}