Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Signaling Modulates Adult Hair Follicle Dermal Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-Renewal

The study from April 14, 2017, investigated the importance of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) signaling in the maintenance and self-renewal of hair follicle dermal stem cells (hfDSCs) in adult mice and its effects on human skin-derived precursors (SKPs). The researchers found that the deletion of the Pdgfra gene in mice led to a significant reduction in hfDSCs and their progeny, indicating that PDGF signaling is essential for hfDSC proliferation. In vitro experiments showed that PDGF-BB could enhance the proliferation of isolated hfDSCs and SKPs, increase the frequency of Sox2-positive hfDSC progeny, and improve the inductive capacity of hfDSCs to form hair follicles. The study, which involved n = 3 independent experiments from three different groups of mice and data from four adult human samples, suggests that PDGF signaling is critical for maintaining the hfDSC pool and could have therapeutic implications for hair loss conditions.