Epithelial Stem Cells And Implications For Wound Repair

October 2012 in “ Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology ”

Maksim V. Plikus, Elsa Treffeisen, Anne Wang, Rarinthip June Supapannachart, George Cotsarelis

TLDR Different types of stem cells in hair follicles play unique roles in wound healing and hair growth, with some stem cells not originating from existing hair follicles but from non-hair follicle cells. WNT signaling and the Lhx2 factor are key in creating new hair follicles.

The 2012 study "Epithelial stem cells and implications for wound repair" explored the role of epithelial stem cells, especially those from hair follicles, in wound healing. The researchers discovered that the activation of these stem cells and their proliferating offspring were crucial in cutaneous wound healing. They found that the healed wound epidermis was a mosaic composition of progeny traced back to both epidermal and several types of hair follicle stem cells. The study also identified several distinct stem cell populations in the hair follicles, including Lrig1+, Gli1+, and Lgr6+ stem cells, which contribute to the maintenance of the isthmus and sebaceous gland. The researchers concluded that different stem cell populations in the hair follicle contribute to wound healing and hair follicle regeneration in distinct ways. They also found that neogenic hair follicles and their stem cells do not originate from Krt15+ bulge stem cells of pre-existing hair follicles at the wound edge, but from non-hair follicle stem cells that likely acquire embryonic-like competence and transiently expand their lineage plasticity. The study highlighted the key role of canonical WNT signaling in inducing neogenic hair follicles and suggested that Lhx2, a Lim-homeodomain transcription factor, plays a crucial role in directing follicular stem cells toward re-epithelialization.

View this study on europepmc.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

10 / 10 results

research Epithelial Wnt Ligand Secretion Is Required for Adult Hair Follicle Growth and Regeneration

170 citations, July 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Wnt ligands are crucial for hair growth 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 25 Years of Epidermal Stem Cell Research

55 citations, March 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Research on epidermal stem cells has advanced significantly, showing promise for improved clinical therapies.

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 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.

research An Extended Epidermal Response Heals Cutaneous Wounds in the Absence of a Hair Follicle Stem Cell Contribution

170 citations, November 2007 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Skin can heal wounds without hair follicle stem cells, but it takes a bit longer.

research Sic Transit Gloria: Farewell to the Epidermal Transit Amplifying Cell?

153 citations, October 2007 in “Cell Stem Cell”

New research suggests that skin cell renewal may not require a special type of cell previously thought to be essential.

research New Hair From Healing Wounds

57 citations, May 2007 in “Nature”

Adult mice can grow new hair from skin wounds.

research Wnt-Dependent De Novo Hair Follicle Regeneration in Adult Mouse Skin After Wounding

829 citations, May 2007 in “Nature”

Hair follicles can regrow in wounded adult mouse skin using a process like embryo development.

research Involvement of Follicular Stem Cells in Forming Not Only the Follicle but Also the Epidermis

1010 citations, August 2000 in “Cell”

Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 24 results

community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

in Research 692 upvotes 3 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.

community Microneedling and aloe vera to recruit stem cells.

in Chat 11 upvotes 9 months ago

Microneedling combined with aloe vera may stimulate dormant stem cells in hair loss areas. Minoxidil is also suggested for better results.

community HairClone developing cell replacement treatments for Hair Loss

6 upvotes 5 years ago

HairClone is developing cell replacement treatments to rejuvenate and generate hair follicles, and has launched a crowdfunding campaign. A user expressed skepticism about the need for crowdfunding.

community This is the best time in human history to be fighting hair loss

in Treatment 193 upvotes 2 years ago

This conversation discusses the advancements in treatments for hair loss, including finasteride, dutasteride, minoxidil and new promising treatments such as pyrilutamide and verteporfin. Other treatments discussed were taking minoxidil orally, tretinoin to turn non-responders into responders and microneedling to further boost growth.

community Is it possible for androgenic alopecia to begin at early adolescent years?

in Chat 70 upvotes 1 year ago

Hair loss can begin in early adolescence and cause mental anguish. Treatments mentioned include eating cruciferous vegetables, engaging in physical activity, and maintaining scalp hygiene.

community TWIST-1 and the cure: Is it really that easy?

in Research/Science 283 upvotes 2 years ago

TWIST-1 gene's role in hair loss and potential as a treatment target. Inhibiting TWIST-1 may prolong hair growth and reduce hair follicle sensitivity to DHT.

Related Research

2 / 2 results

research Wound Healing and Skin Regeneration

359 citations, January 2015 in “Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine”

Hair growth phase and certain genes can speed up wound healing, while an inflammatory mediator can slow down new hair growth after a wound. Understanding these factors can improve tissue regeneration during wound healing.

research Epithelial Stem Cells And Implications For Wound Repair

156 citations, October 2012 in “Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology”

Different types of stem cells in hair follicles play unique roles in wound healing and hair growth, with some stem cells not originating from existing hair follicles but from non-hair follicle cells. WNT signaling and the Lhx2 factor are key in creating new hair follicles.