Emerging Nonmetabolic Functions of Skin Fat

January 2018 in “ Nature Reviews Endocrinology ”

Christian F. Guerrero‐Juarez, Maksim V. Plikus

Studysummary This review discusses the unique features of dermal white adipose tissue, its interaction with hair follicles, and its role in skin physiology, reporting no new experimental findings.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The document from 2018 reviews the specialized roles of dermal white adipose tissue (dWAT) beyond its metabolic functions, emphasizing its importance in hair follicle cycling, skin repair, immune defense, and skin aging. It explains that dWAT undergoes cyclical remodeling in sync with hair growth cycles, with adipogenesis coinciding with hair growth onset and lipolysis at hair growth's end. This process is regulated by transcriptional regulators and is independent of other fat stores, but can be influenced by systemic factors like obesity and temperature. The review also notes that dWAT secretes growth factors that affect hair follicle stem cells, and it plays a role in skin repair by secreting repair-inducing activators and antimicrobial peptides in response to injury and infection. Furthermore, dWAT's interaction with hair follicles is complex, involving paracrine signaling that can either stimulate or inhibit hair growth. The depletion of dWAT and its stem cells is linked to skin aging and hair loss, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for skin rejuvenation and wound infection management. Understanding the cellular and signaling mechanisms of dWAT could provide insights into adipose tissue interactions with other tissues and lead to novel antibacterial strategies.

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