Potential application of PBM use in hair follicle organoid culture for the treatment of androgenic alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is a hereditary condition of pattern hair loss in genetically susceptible individuals. The condition has a significant impact on an individual's quality of life, with decreased self-esteem, body image issues and depression being the main effects. Various conventional treatment options, such as minoxidil, finasteride and herbal supplements, aim to slow down hair loss and promote hair growth. However, due to the chronic nature of the condition the financial cost of treatment for androgenic alopecia is very high and conventional treatment options are not universally effective and come with a host of side effects. Therefore, to address the limitations of current treatment options a novel regenerative treatment option is required. One promising approach is organoids, organoids are 3D cell aggregates with similar structures and functions to a target organ. Hair follicle organoids can be developed in vitro. However, the main challenges are to maintain the cell populations within the organoid in a proliferative and inductive state, as well as to promote the maturation of organoids. Photobiomodulation is a form of light therapy that stimulates endogenous chromophores. PBM has been shown to improve cell viability, proliferation, migration, differentiation and gene expression in dermal papilla cells and hair follicle stem cells. Therefore, photobiomodulation is a potential adjunct to hair follicle organoid culture to improve the proliferation and inductive capacity of cells.