TLDR Hedgehog signaling in skin cells is crucial for hair growth and skin healing, but needs to be balanced to avoid harmful effects like scarring and cancer.
The study "Dermal Hedgehog Signaling in Papillary Fibroblasts: An Emerging Key Player in Skin Regeneration" investigates the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in skin regeneration, particularly in hair follicle development and regeneration. Using transgenic mouse models, the research found that Hh signaling in papillary fibroblasts is crucial for hair follicle morphogenesis and that its activation can induce a dermal papilla fate in these fibroblasts in scarring wounds, offering potential for skin regeneration therapies. However, inhibiting Hh signaling in all fibroblasts delayed wound closure and impaired hair follicle regeneration and angiogenesis. The study also identified two Hh-active myofibroblast populations, suggesting that these represent papillary fibroblasts that promote hair follicle regeneration and angiogenesis. The findings underscore the importance of Hh signaling in papillary fibroblasts for increasing the regenerative zone in scarring wounds, but further research is needed to balance Hh signaling to prevent adverse effects like tissue fibrosis and cancer.
5 citations,
December 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hedgehog signaling in certain cells is crucial for hair growth during wound healing.
128 citations,
August 2020 in “Cell stem cell” Dermal fibroblasts have adjustable roles in wound healing, with specific cells promoting regeneration or scar formation.
48 citations,
June 2020 in “Current Rheumatology Reports” Different types of fibroblasts play various roles in both healthy and diseased tissues, and understanding them better could improve treatments for fibrotic diseases.
301 citations,
February 2019 in “Nature Communications” The research found that different types of fibroblasts are involved in wound healing and that some blood cells can turn into fat cells during this process.
30 citations,
December 2018 in “Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism” Both immature and mature fat cells are important for hair growth cycles, with immature cells promoting growth and mature cells possibly inhibiting it.
145 citations,
November 2018 in “Nature Communications” The Sonic hedgehog pathway is crucial for new hair growth during mouse skin healing.
211 citations,
May 2018 in “Trends in cell biology” Different types of skin cells play specific roles in development, healing, and cancer.
February 2024 in “Frontiers in physiology” Modifying certain signals in the body can help wounds heal without scars and regrow hair.
10 citations,
October 2020 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” Wounds can regenerate hair in young mice, but this ability declines with age, offering insights for improving tissue regeneration in the elderly.
January 2019 in “Advances in stem cells and their niches” Skin health and repair depend on the signals between skin stem cells and their surrounding cells.
28 citations,
October 2019 in “Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology” Hair can regrow in large wounds through a process similar to how hair forms in embryos, and understanding this could lead to new treatments for hair loss or scarring.
10 citations,
September 2018 in “Regenerative Medicine” New hair can grow from large wounds in mice, but less so as they age, involving reprogramming of skin cells and specific molecular pathways.
