Foxc1 Reinforces Quiescence in Self-Renewing Hair Follicle Stem Cells
February 2016
in “
Science
”
Two studies explored the role of stem cells in hair follicles, focusing on their quiescent state and aging. Wang et al. discovered that the Foxc1 transcription factor was activated in hair follicle stem cells, promoting Nfatc1 and BMP signaling to maintain quiescence. Matsumura et al. studied aging hair follicle stem cells and found that type XVII collagen (COL17A1) was crucial for preventing hair thinning. They observed that DNA damage led to the depletion of COL17A1, causing cell differentiation and the shedding of epidermal keratinocytes, which resulted in hair follicle shrinkage and hair loss.