Dermal Papillae Cells (DPcs) are a cluster of cells that reside at the base of the hair follicle. These cells govern many aspects of hair growth – including the formation of hair follicles, active hair growth, and hair cycling. These cell clusters tend to shrink throughout the progression of many hair loss disorders – particularly androgenic alopecia – whereby DPcs undergo apoptosis (i.e., cell death) mediated, in part, by dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
