Neural Potential of a Stem Cell Population in the Hair Follicle

The study described a population of multipotential stem cells located in the bulge region of the hair follicle, identified using transgenic nestin-GFP mice. These cells were capable of forming neurosphere-like structures in vitro and differentiating into various cell types, including neuronal, astrocytic, and oligodendrocytic cells. When implanted into the developing nervous system of chick embryos, they generated neuronal cells in vivo. Transcriptional profiling indicated that these nestin-expressing cells shared characteristics with embryonic and postnatal neural stem cells, demonstrating their multipotency and potential to generate neural lineage cells both in vitro and in vivo.