Hypoxia Treatment of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promotes the Growth of Dermal Papilla Cells via HIF-1α and ERK1/2 Signaling Pathways

The study demonstrated that treating adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) in a hypoxic environment promotes the growth of dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which are essential for hair growth. This hypoxic environment increased the proliferation of ADSCs and upregulated the expression of growth factors VEGF, bFGF, and PDGF, which are regulated by HIF-1α. The conditioned medium from these hypoxia-treated ADSCs enhanced the proliferation of DPCs and their ability to form hair follicles. The ERK1/2 and AKT signaling pathways were also activated in DPCs by the conditioned medium. These findings suggest that hypoxia treatment of ADSCs could potentially be used to promote hair growth.