Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transition In A Human Organ: Lessons From Lichen Planopilaris

October 2017 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Hisayoshi Imanishi, David M. Ansell, Jeremy Chéret, Matthew Harries, Marta Bertolini, Norbert Sepp, Tamás Bı́ró, Enrique Poblet, Francisco Jiménez, J. Hardman, Sreejith Parameswara Panicker, Christopher M. Ward, Ralf Paus

epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition lichen planopilaris scarring alopecia hair follicles peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ PPAR-γ agonists pioglitazone N-Acetyl-GED epithelial stem cells EMT LPP PPAR-γ Actos

TLDR PPAR-γ agonists like pioglitazone may help manage lichen planopilaris but don't fully reverse scarring.

The study investigated the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hair follicles affected by lichen planopilaris (LPP), a scarring alopecia. It demonstrated that EMT occurred in the epithelial stem cell niche of human scalp hair follicles during LPP and could be experimentally induced in healthy human epithelial stem cells. The research highlighted the potential of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonists, such as pioglitazone and N-Acetyl-GED, to prevent and partially reverse EMT, suggesting their therapeutic potential in managing LPP and similar fibrotic diseases. However, complete remission was rare, and scarring was not reversed, indicating the need for further research into combination therapies. The study involved samples from LPP patients and healthy controls, with significant findings supported by statistical analysis.

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