Apoptotic Dysregulation Mediates Stem Cell Competition and Tissue Regeneration

The study "Apoptotic dysregulation mediates stem cell competition and tissue regeneration" investigates the role of the pro-apoptotic Bax protein in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The researchers found that Bax-depleted HFSCs resist apoptosis, proliferate more, and can eliminate healthy neighboring cells. This elimination is contact-dependent and involves the use of TNFα, which was found to be 6.5 times more expressed in Bax-depleted HFSCs. Bax depletion also leads to the activation of p65, necessary for TNFα mediated cell competition. In vivo experiments showed that Bax-depleted mice had increased hair follicle regeneration, accelerated wound repair, and hypertrophic morphology. The study concludes that Bax-mediated apoptotic dysregulation can alter tissue homeostasis and facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. The study involved 3 biological replicates for both wild type and Bax-depleted mice in each experiment.