TLDR Wnt signaling controls whether hair follicle stem cells stay inactive or regenerate hair.
The document from 2014 presents a study on the role of Wnt signaling in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and their ability to regenerate hair. The researchers found that the transcription factors TCF3 and TCF4, along with TLE proteins, act as repressors of Wnt target genes, maintaining HFSCs in a quiescent state. β-catenin, while not necessary for HFSC viability or proliferation, is essential for activating genes that determine hair follicle fate and for suppressing sebocyte fate. The study showed that manipulating TCF3/4 levels can mimic or suppress Wnt-β-catenin signaling, affecting hair regeneration. In vivo experiments with genetically modified mice demonstrated that β-catenin-deficient HFSCs could proliferate but differentiated into sebocytes rather than hair follicle cells. The study used various techniques, including RNA-seq, qPCR, ChIP-seq, and in vivo experiments, with some experiments replicated 2 to 5 times. The findings suggest that TCF3/4 levels are key in determining whether HFSCs remain quiescent or commit to tissue generation, highlighting the complex regulatory mechanisms governing HFSC activation and the potential for manipulating these pathways to control hair growth. The number of mice used in each experiment was not specified.
191 citations,
September 2011 in “Cell stem cell” Hair follicle stem cells use specific chromatin changes to control their growth and differentiation.
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February 2009 in “Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology” Skin stem cells are crucial for maintaining and repairing the skin and hair, using a complex mix of signals to do so.
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May 2007 in “Nature” Hair follicles can regrow in wounded adult mouse skin using a process like embryo development.
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384 citations,
June 2005 in “Genes & development” β-catenin is essential for stem cell activation and proliferation in hair follicles.
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.
161 citations,
August 2012 in “Seminars in cell & developmental biology” Hair growth and development are controlled by specific signaling pathways.
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October 2017 in “Stem cells” Wnt signaling is crucial for skin development and hair growth.
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July 2015 in “PloS one” Foxp1 helps control hair stem cell growth and response to stress during hair growth cycles.
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August 2018 in “Stem Cells International” Stem cells, especially from fat tissue and Wharton's jelly, can potentially regenerate hair follicles and treat hair loss, but more research is needed to perfect the treatment.
129 citations,
July 2019 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” Epidermal stem cells help heal severe skin wounds and have potential for medical treatments.
85 citations,
January 2018 in “Cell stem cell” Different signals work together to change gene activity and guide hair follicle stem cells to become specific cell types.