Neural Potential of a Stem Cell Population in the Hair Follicle
September 2007
in “
Cell Cycle
”
hair follicle stem cells bulge region nestin-GFP mice multipotency neuronal cells astrocytic cells oligodendrocytic cells transcriptional profiling gene expression signature hairspheres keratinocytes neural potential plasticity ectodermal lineages mesodermal lineages hair follicle stem cells nestin-GFP multipotent stem cells neural differentiation gene expression stem cell plasticity
TLDR Stem cells in hair follicles can become various cell types, including neurons.
The study investigated the neural potential of stem cells in the bulge region of hair follicles using nestin-GFP mice. These cells demonstrated multipotency, capable of differentiating into various cell types, including neuronal, astrocytic, and oligodendrocytic cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptional profiling revealed a unique gene expression signature, indicating a distinct population of multipotent stem cells with broad differentiation potential. The research showed that these cells could form "hairspheres" and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, smooth muscle-like cells, and keratinocytes under specific conditions. In vivo experiments confirmed their neural potential by successful differentiation into neuronal cells upon transplantation into chick embryos. The findings highlighted the plasticity of adult tissue-specific stem cells, challenging previous notions about their limited differentiation capabilities and suggesting their potential to contribute to both ectodermal and mesodermal lineages.
