Age-Related Changes in Female Scalp Dermal Sheath and Dermal Fibroblasts: How the Hair Follicle Environment Impacts Hair Aging
January 2021
in “
Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
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TLDR Aging affects the cells around hair follicles, which may influence female pattern hair loss and treatment options.
The study "Age-related changes in female scalp dermal sheath and dermal fibroblasts: how the hair follicle environment impacts hair ageing" is the first comprehensive report on age-related changes of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) focusing on the mesenchymal components surrounding the hair follicle, namely dermal fibroblast (DF) and dermal sheath (DS) cells. The researchers investigated both histological changes and alterations in biomarker gene expression and proteomics using scalp tissue samples. They found increased levels of podoplanin (PDPN), MMP1, and COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) in aged DF/DS, but decreased alpha-SMA and increased HAS2 in DS, but not in DF. The amount of COMP protein was also elevated in proteomics analysis. These findings, some of which are inconsistent with previous observations in murine species or male pattern hair loss, are clinically essential for understanding how FPHL progresses with age and for investigating future treatment options.
