Dynamic interactions of lymphatic vessels at the hair follicle stem cell niche during hair regeneration

The study investigated the role of lymphatic vessels (LV) in hair follicle (HF) regeneration using mouse models. It was found that LV are distributed in the anterior permanent region of individual HF and interconnect neighboring HF at the HF bulge, in a manner dependent on hair follicle stem cells (HFSC). LV were observed to connect HF in triads and dynamically flow across the skin. During HFSC activation or induced HF growth, LV temporarily expanded, indicating increased tissue drainage capacity. This expansion was linked to specific gene expression related to extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal reorganization. The study demonstrated that depletion of LV hindered pharmacological induction of HF growth, highlighting LV as crucial components of the HFSC niche and their role in coordinating HF connections and contributing to HF regeneration.