Light-Emitting Hair Follicles: Studying Skin Regeneration With In Vivo Imaging

In 2014, researchers developed advanced imaging technologies and luminescent genetic tools to study hair regeneration in real time, at both microscopic and macroscopic levels. These tools also allowed for noninvasive assessment of skin's homeostatic parameters like oxidative stress levels and pH. The hair follicle, with its distinct growth cycle and large stem cell compartment, was used as a model in regeneration research. The study used "Flash" transgenic mice, which express a luciferase reporter, for high-resolution time-lapse recordings of bioluminescence of mouse skin, especially useful in experiments examining intradermal drug delivery. The potential of optogenetics, light-inducible gene expression systems, in skin research was also discussed.