Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Conditional Telomerase Induction Causes Proliferation of Hair Follicle Stem Cells
October 2005
in “
Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
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TLDR Activating telomerase can boost hair follicle stem cell growth and hair production.
The study by Sarin et al. in 2005 found that the conditional expression of TERT, a component of telomerase, led to the proliferation of hair follicle stem cells and promoted hair growth in mice. This effect occurred through a mechanism independent of the RNA component of telomerase (TERC) and did not involve telomere maintenance. The findings suggested that TERT could prevent cellular senescence through mechanisms other than telomere extension, aligning with previous reports. Understanding how TERT maintains stem cell function was considered crucial for developing treatments for aging-related disorders and tissue injuries.
