Involvement of Follicular Stem Cells in Forming Not Only the Follicle but Also the Epidermis

    August 2000 in “Cell
    Gina Taylor, Michael S. Lehrer, Pamela J. Jensen, Tung Tien Sun, Robert M. Lavker
    TLDR Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.
    The study demonstrated that hair follicular stem cells, located in the bulge region, could differentiate into various cell types within the hair follicle and upper follicular cells. Using a double-label technique, it was shown that these upper follicular keratinocytes migrated into the epidermis in both normal newborn and wounded adult mouse skin. This indicated that hair follicles were a significant source of keratinocyte stem cells in mouse skin, and that follicular bulge stem cells were potentially bipotent, capable of forming both the hair follicle and the epidermis.
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