Flexible Fate Determination Ensures Robust Differentiation in the Skin Hair Follicle

The study investigated the differentiation process of hair follicle stem cells in live mice, discovering that these cells have a flexible fate determination. The researchers showed that hair follicle stem cells are not limited to a single lineage and can establish all differentiation lineages, contrary to previous beliefs that they were spatially primed for specific fates. Even hair progenitors, once thought to be committed to one lineage, were found capable of altering their differentiation path. The findings indicated that despite abnormal differentiation signals, the overall differentiation and tissue structure of hair follicles remained intact. This suggests that the commitment to a specific cell fate occurs late in the differentiation process, allowing for a robust and coordinated development of hair follicles.