TLDR β-catenin is essential for stem cell activation and proliferation in hair follicles.
The study investigated the role of β-catenin stabilization in the maintenance, proliferation, and lineage commitment of multipotent follicle stem cells (SCs) within their native niche and in culture. Using gain and loss of function mutations, it was demonstrated that β-catenin stabilization was crucial for transitioning SCs from a quiescent state to proliferating transit amplifying (TA) progeny. Transcriptional profiling of SCs from wild-type and elevated β-catenin follicles revealed specific genes dependent on β-catenin stabilization. The study showed that Wnt signaling and β-catenin stabilization transiently activated Lef1/Tcf complexes, promoting TA cell conversion and proliferation, which precedes further Wnt signals that determine the differentiation lineages of the hair follicle.
479 citations,
January 2005 in “BioEssays” Hair follicle development is controlled by interactions between skin tissues and specific molecular signals.
854 citations,
February 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Understanding hair follicle development can help treat hair loss, skin regeneration, and certain skin cancers.
949 citations,
January 2001 in “Cell” Adult mouse skin contains stem cells that can create new hair, skin, and oil glands.
1010 citations,
August 2000 in “Cell” Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.
31 citations,
August 2021 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” The conclusion is that understanding how hair follicle stem cells live or die is important for maintaining healthy tissue and repairing injuries, and could help treat hair loss, but there are still challenges to overcome.
3 citations,
May 2013 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Epidermal stem cells show promise for treating orthopedic injuries and diseases.
173 citations,
January 2014 in “Nature Cell Biology” Wnt signaling controls whether hair follicle stem cells stay inactive or regenerate hair.
54 citations,
January 2016 in “Cell reports” Activating β-catenin in different skin stem cells causes various types of hair growth and skin tumors.
11 citations,
June 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” Melatonin helps goat hair stem cells grow and maintain their ability to become different cell types.
