1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Modulates the Hair-Inductive Capacity of Dermal Papilla Cells: Therapeutic Potential for Hair Regeneration
July 2012
in “
Stem Cells Translational Medicine
”
TLDR Vitamin D3 can help improve hair growth by enhancing the function of specific skin cells and could be useful in hair regeneration treatments.
The 2012 study investigated the effects of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) on dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which are known to induce hair growth. The researchers found that VD3 suppressed DPC proliferation in a dose-dependent, non-toxic manner and significantly increased the expression of Wnt10b, a gene involved in hair growth initiation. This effect was specific to DPCs and not observed in human dermal fibroblasts. In a rat model, VD3 pretreatment significantly enhanced hair follicle regeneration, with more outgrowing hair shafts and higher maturation of regenerated follicles. The study concluded that VD3 could promote functional differentiation of DPCs and could be useful in preserving the hair follicle-inductive capacity of cultured DPCs for hair regeneration therapies.
