Epidermal Stem Cells in Hair Follicle Cycling and Skin Regeneration: A View From the Perspective of Inflammation

November 2020 in “ Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ”

E. I. Morgun, E. A. Vorotelyak

TLDR Inflammation plays a key role in activating skin stem cells for hair growth and wound healing, but more research is needed to understand how it directs cell behavior.

The document from November 2020 reviews the role of epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) in hair follicle cycling and skin regeneration, with a particular focus on the influence of inflammation. It explains how immune cells like macrophages, γδT cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) can activate EpiSCs to promote wound healing and hair follicle neogenesis. The review also discusses the plasticity of EpiSCs, their ability to de-differentiate under inflammatory conditions, and the complex interplay between skin resident immune cells, inflammatory cells, reactive oxygen species, and prostaglandins in hair follicle cycling. It emphasizes the importance of inflammation in scarring and follicle neogenesis as indicators of complete wound healing and suggests that stem cell activation, inflammation, and programmed cell death pathways are interconnected. The document concludes that further research is needed to understand the conditions that determine the direction of differentiation, dedifferentiation, and reprogramming of cells under the influence of inflammation.

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