Hair Follicle-derived Stem Cells: A Non-Invasive Route to Studying Neurodegenerative Disease

Summary

This project will establish a non-invasive method to derive stem cells from hair follicles, enabling accessible models for studying neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

How are we doing it?

We will isolate and culture keratinocytes from hair follicles, assess their potential for reprogramming into iPSCs, and compare their chromatin accessibility to blood-derived cells. With input from the PROTECT PPI group, we will co-develop an ethical framework for sample collection. Quality control of the generated iPSCs will include genomic stability and pluripotency assays.

What happens next?

Upon successful validation, hair follicle-derived iPSCs will be integrated into the PROTECT cohort to explore cellular mechanisms underlying dementia and enable future drug screening and personalised therapeutic development.

Funding

NIHR Exeter BRC.

People Involved

Professor Jonathan Mill, Professor Anne Corbett.

Other collaborators: PROTECT PPI Ambassadors Group, University of Exeter Sequencing Service