Hair Follicle Stem Cell Progeny Heal Blisters While Pausing Skin Development

In the study from April 9, 2020, researchers investigated how skin wounds, specifically blisters, affect the development of skin and hair follicles (HFs). They discovered that when the epidermis heals from a blister, it does so by suppressing genes involved in skin morphogenesis, which results in delayed HF growth. Through lineage tracing, cell proliferation studies, and mathematical modeling, the team found that the progeny of HF junctional zone stem cells are primarily responsible for repairing blisters. These cells undergo a morphological change and prioritize wound healing over promoting HF development. Conversely, the contribution of interfollicular stem cell progeny to blister healing is minimal. This study highlights that, in the context of growing tissue, the regeneration process can halt tissue development, and that the reactivation of developmental programs during tissue repair is not a universal principle for all regenerative processes. The findings are particularly relevant for understanding wound healing in skin blistering diseases.