A process for the propagation of human DP cells has been developed that provides significant expansion of cells and maintenance of their hair-inductive capability, overcoming a major technical obstacle in the development of follicular cell implantation as a treatment for hair loss.

Follicular cell implantation (FCI) is an experimental cell therapy for the treatment of hair loss that uses cultured hair follicle cells to induce new hair formation. This treatment is based on the demonstration that adult dermal papilla cells (DPC) retain the hair inductive capacity they acquired during hair morphogenesis in the embryo. For FCI, hair inductive cells are isolated from scalp biopsies and then propagated in culture in order to provide enough cells to generate many new follicles from a few donor follicles. Following expansion in culture, the cells are implanted into the scalp where they induce the formation of new follicles. Because the process relies on the ability to retain the potential for hair induction during the expansion of DPC in culture, we sought a consistent, reliable and easily performed in vivo assay in which to test hair induction. In this study, we describe a simple graft model that supports hair morphogenesis. The assay combines dermal cells with embryonic mouse epidermis that provides the keratinocyte component of induced follicles. The grafts are placed under a protective skin flap in the host athymic mouse where the cells will form a skin graft with hair if the dermal cells are hair inductive DPC. Using the assay, freshly isolated and cultured mouse embryo dermal cells as well as cultured dermal papilla cells from other species all induced hair formation. The induced hairs were aesthetically indistinguishable from those of the epidermal donor in length, thickness, and pigmentation, and they were histologically normal.

A variety of nutrition interventions are needed to meet national and global goals for women and children, and scarce resources necessitate integration of those activities. Haiti's national nutrition strategy includes 3 priority intervention areas: 1) promotion of age‐appropriate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices 2) prevention of micronutrient deficiencies (PMD) in young children, adolescent girls and pregnant women and 3) management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children under 5. Policy makers need to identify program delivery models that effectively integrate these areas at the community level. To address the question of integration, we mapped the program impact pathways for 3 large‐scale nutrition programs serving rural Haitian communities. Two programs were managed by NGOs and one by the public sector. For each program, we assessed how activities related to IYCF, PMD, and SAM were integrated at the service delivery level. Data was collected through document review and semi‐structured interviews with program staff and beneficiaries. Analyses and findings reveal ways that various community‐based nutrition activities can be most efficient and synergistic. Research support: UNICEF Haiti