Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Lymphatic Vessels Interact Dynamically with the Hair Follicle Stem Cell Niche During Skin Regeneration In Vivo

In 2021, Peña-Jimenez D and colleagues reported on the dynamic interaction between lymphatic vessels (LVs) and hair follicles (HFs) in mice. They found that LVs are polarized along the anterior permanent region of the HF and that this LV-HF association is maintained by the formation of a HF stem cell niche. The study also revealed different gene expression between two hair cycle stages (late telogen and anagen onset), suggesting that LVs influence the normal hair regeneration cycle. Although the study was conducted on mice, the authors suggested that the findings could be significant for studying human HF physiology and clinical applications due to the conservation of the LV network in the skin and lymphatic system between rodents and humans.