Development and Maintenance of Epidermal Stem Cells in Skin Appendages

December 2020 in “ International journal of molecular sciences ”

Jaroslav Mokrý, Rishikaysh Pisal

TLDR Epidermal stem cells create and maintain skin structures like hair and nails through specific signaling pathways and vary by location and function.

The document reviews the role of epidermal stem cells (SCs) in the development and maintenance of skin appendages such as hair, feathers, nails, and skin glands. It explains that these structures originate from epithelial SCs, which differentiate into various skin adnexa due to the Wnt–(Dkk4)–Eda–Shh signalling cascade and its slight variations. The review emphasizes that different skin structures are formed from distinct SC pools located in specific niches, which influence SC behavior and result in varied marker and gene expression patterns among SC subsets. It also discusses the coordinated activity of epidermal SCs with other skin cells during the hair cycle and skin regeneration after injury, and it identifies several markers, proteins, and transcription factors associated with epidermal SCs.

View this study on mdpi.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

19 / 19 results

Regulation of Melanocyte Stem Cells in the Pigmentation of Skin and Its Appendages: Biological Patterning and Therapeutic Potentials

research Regulation of Melanocyte Stem Cells in the Pigmentation of Skin and Its Appendages: Biological Patterning and Therapeutic Potentials

41 citations, December 2018 in “Experimental Dermatology”

Understanding how melanocyte stem cells work could lead to new treatments for hair graying and skin pigmentation disorders.

research Multi-Tasking Epidermal Stem Cells: Beyond Epidermal Maintenance

23 citations, November 2018 in “Development, Growth & Differentiation”

Epidermal stem cells have various roles in skin beyond just maintenance, including forming specialized structures and aiding in skin repair and regeneration.

research Extracellular Proteoglycan Decorin Maintains Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells

11 citations, October 2018 in “The Journal of Dermatology”

Decorin helps keep hair follicle stem cells and may prevent age-related hair loss.

research Regulation of Melanocyte Stem Cell Behavior by the Niche Microenvironment

24 citations, March 2018 in “Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research”

The environment around melanocyte stem cells is key for hair regeneration and color, with certain injuries affecting hair color and potential treatments for pigmentation disorders.

research Wounding Induces Dedifferentiation of Epidermal Gata6+ Cells and Acquisition of Stem Cell Properties

143 citations, May 2017 in “Nature cell biology”

Wounded skin cells can revert to stem cells and help heal.

research Epithelial-Mesenchymal Micro-Niches Govern Stem Cell Lineage Choices

214 citations, April 2017 in “Cell”

Different small areas within hair follicles send specific signals that control what type of cells stem cells become.

research The Hair Follicle: Functions, Self-Renewal, and Alopecic Disorders

28 citations, March 2016 in “Toxicologic pathology”

Dogs could be good models for studying human hair growth and hair loss.

research Hair Follicle Aging Is Driven by Transepidermal Elimination of Stem Cells via COL17A1 Proteolysis

242 citations, February 2016 in “Science”

Hair loss and aging are caused by the breakdown of a key protein in hair stem cells.

research Involvement of Wnt, Eda, and Shh at Defined Stages of Sweat Gland Development

55 citations, October 2014 in “Development”

Wnt, Eda, and Shh pathways are crucial for different stages of sweat gland development in mice.

BLIMP1 Is Required for Postnatal Epidermal Homeostasis but Does Not Define a Sebaceous Gland Progenitor Under Steady-State Conditions

research BLIMP1 Is Required for Postnatal Epidermal Homeostasis but Does Not Define a Sebaceous Gland Progenitor Under Steady-State Conditions

50 citations, September 2014 in “Stem cell reports”

BLIMP1 is essential for skin maintenance but not for defining sebaceous gland progenitors.

research Tooth, Hair, and Claw: Comparing Epithelial Stem Cell Niches of Ectodermal Appendages

14 citations, February 2014 in “Experimental Cell Research”

The conclusion is that teeth, hair, and claws have similar stem cell niches, which are important for growth and repair, and more research is needed on their regulation and potential markers.

research Epidermal Development in Mammals: Key Regulators, Signals from Beneath, and Stem Cells

83 citations, May 2013 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”

Skin development in mammals is controlled by key proteins and signals from underlying cells, involving stem cells for maintenance and repair.

research Identification of Stem Cell Populations in Sweat Glands and Ducts Reveals Roles in Homeostasis and Wound Repair

265 citations, July 2012 in “Cell”

The study found that sweat glands contain different types of stem cells that help with healing and maintaining healthy skin.

research Shh Maintains Dermal Papilla Identity and Hair Morphogenesis via a Noggin–Shh Regulatory Loop

138 citations, June 2012 in “Genes & Development”

Sonic hedgehog signaling is crucial for hair growth and maintaining hair follicle identity.

research Nerve-Derived Sonic Hedgehog Defines a Niche for Hair Follicle Stem Cells Capable of Becoming Epidermal Stem Cells

396 citations, May 2011 in “Cell stem cell”

Nerve signals are crucial for hair follicle stem cells to become skin stem cells and help in wound healing.

research Melanocyte Stem Cells: A Melanocyte Reservoir in Hair Follicles for Hair and Skin Pigmentation

240 citations, April 2011 in “Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research”

Melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles are key for hair color and could help treat greying and pigment disorders.

research Identification of the Cell Lineage at the Origin of Basal Cell Carcinoma

351 citations, February 2010 in “Nature Cell Biology”

Basal cell carcinoma mostly starts from cells in the upper skin layers, not hair follicle stem cells.

research Ectodysplasin Signaling in Cutaneous Appendage Development: Dose, Duration, and Diversity

9 citations, March 2009 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Ectodysplasin signaling is crucial for skin appendage development, requiring specific doses and durations.

research Lgr5 Marks Cycling, Yet Long-Lived, Hair Follicle Stem Cells

835 citations, October 2008 in “Nature Genetics”

Lgr5 is a marker for active, long-lasting stem cells in mouse hair follicles.

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 55 results

community Clearing the air on how non-surgical treatments really work

18 upvotes 5 years ago

Treatments for hair loss, including finasteride, dutasteride, minoxidil, ketoconazole, microneedling, and low level laser light therapy, which aim to reduce DHT production, increase cell absorption and blood flow, and stimulate epidermal stem cells. It also stresses the importance of patience when using these treatments.

community The Real Cause Of Androgenetic Alopecia

in Research/Science 668 upvotes 2 months ago

Androgenetic alopecia is caused by DHT affecting hair growth. Finasteride and minoxidil are used to manage hair loss by blocking DHT and promoting hair growth.

community PP405: The Ultimate Hair Loss Drug for Complete Hair Growth

in Research/Science 206 upvotes 4 days ago

PP405 is a new hair loss treatment in phase 2 trials that may promote hair growth by increasing lactate production and activating hair follicle stem cells. It could potentially replace hormone-disrupting treatments like Minoxidil and finasteride.

community New and Interesting HairLoss Studies/Papers/Reviews

in Treatment 42 upvotes 4 years ago

Hair loss treatments discussed include Dutasteride with Ketoconazole, tissue engineering strategies, and androgenetic alopecia therapies. Massage doubles follicular retention, improving treatment effectiveness.

community A Scientific Perspective in Microneedling for Alopecia

in Microneedling 43 upvotes 5 years ago

The post and conversation are about microneedling as a treatment for alopecia. It provides a comprehensive review of scientific literature on the technique and its application.

community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

in Research 692 upvotes 4 months ago

Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

Related Research

6 / 6 results

research Possible Cellular Communication with Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells via Secretions from Human Hair Follicle Keratinocytes

January 2022 in “Journal of St. Marianna University”

Substances from human hair cells can affect hair loss-related genes, potentially leading to new treatments for baldness.

research A Model System to Analyze the Ability of Human Keratinocytes to Form Hair Follicles

15 citations, April 2014 in “Experimental Dermatology”

Scientists developed a system to study human hair growth using skin cells, which could help understand hair development and improve skin substitutes for medical use.

research Review of Hair Follicle Dermal Cells

321 citations, December 2009 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

Dermal cells are key in controlling hair growth and could potentially be used in hair loss treatments, but more research is needed to improve hair regeneration methods.