Hair Follicle Stem Cells Provide a Functional Niche for Melanocyte Stem Cells

    February 2011 in “ Cell stem cell ”
    Shintaro Tanimura, Yuko Tadokoro, K Inomata, Nguyễn Thanh Bình, Wataru Nishie, Satoshi Yamazaki, Hiromitsu Nakauchi, Yoshio Tanaka, James R. McMillan, Daisuke Sawamura, Kim B. Yancey, Hiroshi Shimizu, Emi K. Nishimura
    TLDR COL17A1 is crucial for preventing hair graying and loss by supporting hair and pigment stem cells.
    The study found that collagen XVII (COL17A1) was essential for maintaining hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and melanocyte stem cells (MSCs), which are crucial for hair pigmentation and growth. In Col17a1-null mice, the absence of COL17A1 led to premature hair graying and hair loss due to defective HFSC and MSC maintenance. The research demonstrated that HFSCs provided a functional niche for MSCs through TGF-β signaling, and transgenic expression of human COL17A1 in these mice prevented hair graying and loss. This highlighted the critical role of COL17A1 in stem cell niche function and its potential implications for understanding hair loss mechanisms in humans.
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