Disruption of the Innate Lymphoid Cell Network Alters the Hair Cycle During Induced Anagen
TLDR Removing certain immune cells in mice causes their hair to enter the growth phase earlier than usual.
The study investigated the role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the skin and their interaction with the epithelia, particularly in relation to hair growth cycles. Using single-cell RNA-seq from various immunodeficient mice, the researchers found that the absence of T cells in Rag2–/– mice significantly affected skin ILC composition, leading to an increase in ILC groups 1, 2, and 3, and the emergence of an NK-like subset. This disruption of the ILC network altered the transcriptome of the cycling portion of the hair follicles, suggesting that ILCs play a role in modulating the hair cycle. Specifically, Rag2–/– mice displayed early anagen entry (hair growth phase), while Rag2–/–Il2rg–/– mice showed delayed anagen. The study concluded that a specialized subset of ILC2 promotes anagen induction, thus playing a crucial role in hair growth.
