Impaired Differentiation Potential of CD34-Positive Cells Derived from Mouse Hair Follicles After Long-Term Culture

The study investigated the long-term culture of hair follicle epithelial stem cells (HFSCs) from mice, focusing on finding a suitable culture medium for maintaining their stem cell characteristics. While one type of commercial culture medium was identified that supported the expression of stem cell markers, the study found that HFSCs cultured over several passages exhibited reduced differentiation potential and a diminished ability to induce hair follicle formation in vivo. This impairment was attributed to altered responsiveness to Wnt signaling, indicating the importance of a controlled Wnt signaling environment for the preservation of HFSCs during long-term culture.