From Hair to Heart: Nestin-Expressing Hair-Follicle-Associated Pluripotent Stem Cells Differentiate to Beating Cardiac Muscle Cells

    May 2015 in “ Cell Cycle ”
    Masateru Yashiro, Sumiyuki Mii, Ryoichi Aki, Yuko Hamada, Nobuko Arakawa, Katsumasa Kawahara, Robert M. Hoffman, Yasuyuki Amoh
    TLDR Hair follicle stem cells can become heart muscle cells.
    The study demonstrated that hair-follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells, which express the neural stem-cell marker nestin, could differentiate into beating cardiac muscle cells. These stem cells, derived from both mouse and human hair follicles, were previously shown to differentiate into various cell types, including neurons and smooth muscle cells. In this study, the researchers found that all parts of the mouse vibrissa hair follicle could differentiate into cardiac muscle cells, with the upper part showing the greatest potential. The cardiac muscle cells' beat rate was influenced by isoproterenol and propanolol. This finding suggested that HAP stem cells could be used in regenerative medicine for heart disease, as well as for nerve and spinal cord repair.
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