Paracrine Crosstalk Between Human Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells and Microvascular Endothelial Cells

In the 2015 study, researchers found that human follicle dermal papilla cells (FDPCs) significantly contribute to the vascular remodeling of the hair follicle by enhancing the survival, proliferation, and tubulogenesis of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) more effectively than fibroblasts. FDPCs increased the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which are proangiogenic factors, and reduced the production of IL-1α, a negative regulator of hair growth, in HMVECs under oxidative stress. In contrast, human dermal fibroblasts had a lesser effect on HMVECs and did not alter IL-1α production. The coculture technique used was validated for studying paracrine interactions between cells related to hair follicle vascularization, indicating that FDPCs play a crucial role in supporting skin vasculature, which is relevant for hair growth and loss conditions.