TLDR Hair follicle cells can create new blood vessels in the skin.
The study found that nestin-expressing hair follicle cells in mice could generate new blood vessels in the skin, particularly during the anagen phase of hair growth. Using ND-GFP transgenic mice, researchers observed that these vessels originated from hair follicles and interconnected them. Transplantation experiments showed that ND-GFP-labeled vibrissa follicles could form blood vessels in both the skin and kidney of nude mice, with growth enhanced by skin wounding. The vessels expressed endothelial markers, confirming their identity. This suggested that hair follicle stem cells could contribute to skin angiogenesis, highlighting their potential role in wound repair and skin transplant survival, and expanding their known pluripotency.
520 citations,
February 2001 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” VEGF helps hair grow and determines follicle size by increasing blood vessel growth.
949 citations,
January 2001 in “Cell” Adult mouse skin contains stem cells that can create new hair, skin, and oil glands.
1010 citations,
August 2000 in “Cell” Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.
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1 citations,
January 2008 in “Springer eBooks” Hair follicle stem cells can turn into many cell types and may help repair nerve damage and have other medical uses.
[object Object] 76 citations,
March 2005 in “Cancer Research” Doxorubicin can block blood vessels from hair follicles, reducing skin tumor growth.
37 citations,
January 2009 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Hair follicle stem cells can turn into various cell types and help repair nerves.
33 citations,
October 2010 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” Hair follicle stem cells are a practical and ethical option for nerve repair in regenerative medicine.
16 citations,
December 2006 in “Expert Review of Dermatology” Hair follicles are essential for skin health, aiding in hair growth, wound healing, and immune function.
