Hair matrix germinative epidermal cells confer follicle-inducing capabilities on dermal sheath and high passage papilla cells

In a 1996 study, researchers Amanda J. Reynolds and Colin A. B. Jahoda investigated the role of hair matrix germinative epidermal cells in hair follicle formation. They found that these cells, when combined with dermal sheath or high passage papilla cells, could induce follicle formation, a capability typically lacking in the latter. The study involved implanting recombined follicle dermal and epidermal cell cultures into rat ears, resulting in the formation of large, long, and straight vibrissa-type fibers. The researchers concluded that germinative epidermal cells enable non-inductive adult dermal cells to stimulate hair follicle neogenesis by altering their status, causing the sheath cells to specialize and the aged papilla cells to rejuvenate. This research provided further evidence that follicle dermal cells are inherently different from other sources and extended the understanding of how dermal-epidermal interactions contribute to the regulation of hair follicle activities.