Category Archives: Yokohama National University

Junji Fukuda, Hair Beads, Hair Follicle Germs, Yokohama National University

Preparation of Hair Beads and Hair Follicle Germs

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I have covered hair regeneration research by Yokohama University’s Dr. Junji Fukuda and his Fukuda Lab a few times in the past. He is highly respected in the world of hair loss research.

Update: June 30, 2025

Preparation of Hair Follicle Germs using Centrifugal Forces

The Fukuda team has published a new study on the preparation of hair follicle germ-like aggregates. They found that a centrifugal approach significantly improves hair follicle regeneration efficiency compared with that of conventional cell suspension injection.

Update: February 12, 2024

A new study from Dr. Junji Fukuda and his team covers their development of a microfluidic-device based approach for the large-scale preparation of hair follicle germs (HFGs).

Update: September 8, 2019

Preparation of Hair Beads and Hair Follicle Germs

Last month, Dr. Junji Fukuda and his team published a groundbreaking new study titled: “Preparation of hair beads and hair follicle germs for regenerative medicine“. The team managed to generate new hair follicles from stem cells in far higher quantities than ever before in mice. This news was widely covered, including in today’s Guardian newspaper.

The researchers’ approach entailed use of a collagen gel in combination with spheroids formed from epithelial cells. This resulted in something called bead-based hair follicle germs (bbHFGs). These germs generated hairs more efficiently than previous approaches. A hair-raising protocol per one headline.

The success of this approach will potentially lead to the preparation of microtissues with high trichogenic ability upon transplantation. A key necessity in future hair follicle germ creation and transplantation from stem cells in humans.

Past research from Dr. Fukuda is here. The researchers next step is to “find a way to expand the number of hair follicle stem cells“.

February 2, 2018

Large-Scale Production of Hair Follicle Germs

I have covered Dr. Junji Fukuda and the Fukuda Lab several times on this blog in the past. Their important hair related research takes place at Yokohama National University in Japan. Most recently, this was just two weeks ago in relation to their latest paper titled: “Spontaneous hair follicle germ (HFG) formation in vitro, enabling the large-scale production of HFGs for regenerative medicine“. It was published towards the end of 2017, but seems to now be dated as 2018.

Junji Fukuda: Hair Follicle Germs (HFGs) Preparation.
Junji Fukuda: Hair Follicle Germs (HFGs) Preparation.

At the time, I decided that this development was only worth a cursory mention in my once a month “brief items of interest” post. My decision was clouded by the fact that this research only entailed work on mice (see bottom part of image on left, courtesy Yokohama National University). We are all a bit bored/tired/frustrated with that of course.

However, earlier today, Dr. Fukuda and his team’s work was covered in the Science Daily publication. Key quote from Dr. Fukuda:

“This simple method is very robust and promising. We hope that this technique will improve human hair regenerative therapy to treat hair loss such as androgenic alopecia,” adds Fukuda. “In fact, we have preliminary data that suggests human HFG formation using human keratinocytes and dermal papilla cells.”

Perhaps this really might end up being a major development, even in humans.

Tsuji, Shiseido, Ohyama and perhaps now Fukuda? I have never been to Japan, but it looks like this may change in the future.

Dermal Papilla Cells, Junji Fukuda, Yokohama National University

A Visit to Fukuda Lab at Yokohama National

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I have extensively covered the work of the esteemed Japanese hair loss researcher Dr. Junji Fukuda for over ten years. Among the posts that I have written in relation to his team’s work at Fukuda Lab include the following:

This post was originally written in 2024. I have added several new updates from 2025 and 2026 at the bottom.

February 21, 2024

A Visit to Fukuda Lab at Yokohama National

Reader “Theo” just sent me a link to a very interesting diary of a hair transplant surgeon from Japan who just visited the Fukuda Lab.

Note that while Dr. Fukuda is based at Yokohama National University, the research seems to be taking place at Kanagawa Life Innovation Center (per the above link). One of the images also mentions the Kanagawa Center for Clinical Research & Strategy (KCCR). Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. Check out this PDF of the regenerative medicine sector at Kanagawa Prefecture.

From this visit and summary, I learn some very interesting things. There are three distinct methods in which Dr. Fukuda is pursuing hair regeneration. I mentioned them in my past lengthy post too, but now we have more clarity.

1) Dermal Papilla Cell Transplantation

“Dermal papilla cell transplantation is about to begin in Japan.“

Transplantation of dermal papilla cells (via stratified culture). I assume that the “stratified cuture” in the translation means 3D culturing. Dr. Fukuda mentions that Shiseido already conducted a clinical trial using 2D culturing. In this method, cells are are lined up on a flat surface when culturing, but it only resulted in a 5% increase in hair volume. The 3D method will likely be superior and the clinical trials are about to finally begin! It is hoped to be “put into practical use within five years”.

2) Transplantation of Hair Follicle Primordium

“I think this will take some time.”

The creation of hair follicle primordia means generating hair from scratch. i.e., hair multiplication. I previously discussed the Yokohama team’s process of achieving this via increasing and mixing epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. These then form “hair follicle primordia“ that are transplanted to the same donor’s scalp in order to regenerate hair in thinning regions of the scalp.

Per the latest feedback from Dr. Fukuda, while this process has already been proven by them in mice, human hair is a different animal. Once the primordium tissue is transplanted to human heads, the direction and length grow haphazardly. He thinks that this will take some time.

3) Transplantation of Regenerated Hair Follicles in Vitro (Organoids)

“It will likely take more than 10 years before it can be used in humans.”

The final method is in vitro regenerated hair follicle transplantation (also called organoid). In this process, hair follicles are regenerated outside the body, lengthened by almost 100%, and then transplanted into the scalp. Per Dr. Fukuda, it will likely take more than 10 years before it can be used in humans.

Other Notes

In March 2023, Dr. Fukuda and his Yokohama team published an important hair regeneration related study. They made an improvement in the expansion of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and dermal papilla cells via the use of a newly designed microwell array device.

The Fukuda Lab has even undertaken research on electric stimulation of human dermal papilla cells for hair regeneration.

So in one day we get two very unique insights and forecasts from Japan! Thanks again to “Theo” for all the stellar non-English language updates from Japan and South Korea.

Fukuda Lab Hair Research
Fukuda Lab’s hair research summary poster. Source:
Naohiro Uchida, Director of Almo Plastic Clinic Hair Transplantation.

Update: April 18, 2024

New Junji Fukuda interview given to Tokyo Television. Someone please translate it into English if you know Japanese. Not yet on YouTube.

Junji Fukuda TV Interview
Junji Fukuda TV Interview.

Update: June 15, 2025

Yet Another Visit to Fukuda Lab

Yet again, Tokyo TV visited world renowned hair loss researcher Dr. Junji Fukuda at Yokahama National University. A Japanese reader posted a link to the full video in the comments, but it did not load for me. However, I managed to find two of the segments on YouTube. You can turn on English captions in the videos. The Japanese viewer comments underneath the first video are funny.