GDNF Promotes Hair Formation and Cutaneous Wound Healing by Targeting Bulge Stem Cells

June 2020 in “ npj regenerative medicine ”

Thomas S. Lisse, Manju Sharma, Neda Vishlaghi, Sri Ramulu N. Pullagura, Robert E. Braun

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor GDNF bulge stem cells BSCs hair follicle regeneration skin repair vascularization collagen organization Gfra1 Ret progenitors

TLDR GDNF helps grow hair and heal skin wounds by acting on hair stem cells.

The study concluded that Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promoted hair formation and cutaneous wound healing by targeting bulge stem cells (BSCs). GDNF enhanced the proliferation, migration, and self-renewal of BSCs, which are crucial for hair follicle regeneration and skin repair. Overexpression of GDNF improved hair formation, skin repair, vascularization, and collagen organization, while genetic ablation of Gfra1 or Ret in BSCs impaired these processes. The findings suggested that GDNF could be a potential therapeutic agent for treating hair loss and improving wound healing by activating BSCs and their progenitors.

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