Hair Follicle Stem Cells: Insights from the 2003 Workshop

The 2003 workshop on Hair Follicle Stem Cells revealed that follicular epithelial stem cells, located in the bulge region of developing human fetal hair follicles, are multipotent and can generate all hair cell types, the epidermis, and sebaceous glands. These stem cells play a crucial role in the hair cycle, transitioning from quiescent to proliferative states during early anagen, influenced by signals from the follicular papilla. Transplantation studies in mice demonstrated that bulge cells could migrate and differentiate into various cell types within the follicle and epidermis, supporting the concept of a pilosebaceous epithelial unit (PSU). The findings underscored the importance of further research to understand the regulatory signals for stem cell division and differentiation, with vibrissa follicles serving as excellent models for studying these processes.